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Combined Abstract Booklet
World Conference on Marine Biodiversity, September 2011
www.marine-biodiversity.org
Our Oceans, Our Future
26 - 30 September 2011
Aberdeen, Scotland (UK)
1
The organisers gratefully acknowledge the support of all event sponsors.
Sponsors
2
World Conference on Marine Biodiversity
Draft Programme
Monday 26 September 2011
09.00 – 11.00 Registration
Tea and Coffee
11.00 – 12.40 OPENING CEREMONY
1
2.40 – 13.40 Lunch
1
3.40 – 14.55 Parallel Sessions One
15.00 – 15.45 Plenary Presentation: Marine
biodiversity, ecological capacity, and
biological insurance: Why all those
rare species matter
Shahid Naeem, Columbia University
15.50 – 17.20 Parallel Sessions Two
17.20 – 18.40 Digital Object and Exhibition Session
One
19.30 PUBLIC EVENT - TICKETED
An evening with Jean-Michel Cousteau
Aberdeen Music Hall
Tuesday 27 September 2011
09.00 – 10.30 Parallel Sessions Three
10.30 – 11.00 Tea and Coffee
11.00 – 12.30 Parallel Sessions Four
12.30 – 13.30 Lunch
13.30 – 14.15 Plenary Presentation: It is the age of
wisdom, it is the age of foolishness
Jeff Ardron, Marine Conservation
Institute
14.15 – 14.55 Digital Object and Exhibition Session
Two
15.00 – 16.30 Parallel Sessions Five
16.30 – 17.00 Tea and Coffee
17.00 – 18.30 Parallel Sessions Six
PUBLIC EVENT – ABERDEEN
to be confirmed
PUBLIC EVENT – ST ANDREWS
Marine Terrorism Debate
Louise Richardson, Vice Chancellor &
Principal
Wednesday 28 September 2011
09.00 – 09.45 Plenary Session: Fisheries and marine
biodiversity in North Atlantic high
Jóhann Sigurjónsson, Director General,
Marine Research Institute, Iceland
0
9.45 – 10.50 Parallel Sessions Seven
10.50 – 11.20 Tea and Coffee
11.20 – 12.35 Parallel Sessions Eight
12.35 – 13.30 Lunch
13.30 – 14.15 Digital Object and Exhibition Session
Three
14.15 – 15.45 Parallel Sessions Nine
15.45 – 16.15 Tea and Coffee
16.15 – 17.45 Parallel Sessions Ten
19.30 for 20.00 CONFERENCE DINNER - TICKETED
Scottish Themed Evening at Ardoe
House Hotel
Thursday 29 September 2011
09.00 – 09.45 Plenary Session
Mark Costello, University of Auckland
09.50 – 11.20 Parallel Sessions Eleven
11.20 – 11.50 Tea and Coffee
11.50 – 12.35 Plenary Session: Marine Biodiversity,
Complexity and Global Environmental
Professor Terry Dawson, University of
Dundee
12.35 – 13.45 Lunch
13.45 – 14.25 Digital Object and Exhibition Session
Four
14.30 – 16.15 Parallel Sessions Twelve
16.15 – 16.45 Tea and Coffee
16.50 – 18.20 Parallel Sessions Thirteen
Friday 30 September 2011
09.00 – 10.30 Parallel Sessions Fourteen
10.30 – 11.00 Tea and Coffee
11.00 – 11.30 Prize Giving
Announcement of Venue for 2014 Event
11.30 – 13.30 CLOSING CEREMONY
13.35 Walk Away Lunch
3
4
Shell UK are Exhibition Sponsors
See page 5
Stands 1 – 5
Outreach Activities
S
tands 6 & 7
Stand 8
Stand 9
Stand 10
Stand 18
Stand 19
Stand 20
Stand 21
Natural England Stand 22
Stand 31
Stand 32 & 33
Stand 34
Stand 35
Stand 37 & 38
Stand 41 Artist Lily Simonson
Stand 42 & 43
Stand 45
Stand 49
Stand 50
Stand 51
Stand 52
Stand 53
Stand 54
Stand 55
Stand 56
Stand 57
Stands 58 & 59
Stand 60
LIST OF EXHIBITORS
WORKING IN
SENSITIVE AREAS
Shell is the fi rst energy company to adopt standards for
how we work in areas rich in biodiversity. We continue
to embed requirements for how we manage risks to
ecosystems and the livelihoods that may depend on them.
Find out more in the Shell Sustainability Report 2011
www.shell.com
5
6
7
Local Organising Committee
Scientific
• Dr Martin Solan, University of Aberdeen
• Professor David M Paterson, University of St Andrews
• Dr Emma Defew, University of St Andrews
•
Dr Rebecca Aspen, University of St Andrews
•
Dr Jasmin Godbold, University of Aberdeen
Administration at the University of Aberdeen
• Kim Nardi, Lead Secretary
• Nikki Pearce, Project Manager
• Sarah Barnes, Communications
• Shaunagh Kirby, Communications
• Jennifer Phillips, Public Relations
• Ken Skeldon, Public Outreach
International Scientific Committee
Canada Professor Peter Lawton, Centre for Marine Biodiversity
Professor Paul Snelgrove, Memorial University of Newfoundland
Chile Professor Juan Carlos Castilla, Universidad Católica de Chile,
China Professor Sun Song, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Professor Xiao-xia Sun, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
India Professor Raman Akkur, Andhra University
Dr. Chandramohan, Indian COML,
Ireland Professor Poul Holm, Trinity College Dublin,
Italy Professor Ferdinando Boero, Universita' del Salento, Lecce
Japan Professor Yoshihisa Shirayama, Kyoto University
Poland Professor Jan Marcin Weslawski, Polish Academy of Sciences
Slovenia Professor Alenka Malej, National Institute of Biology
South Africa Professor Charles Griffiths, University of Cape Town
Professor Christopher McQuaid, Rhodes University, South Africa
Spain Professor Carlos Duarte, Instituto Mediterráneo de Estudios Avanzados
Sweden Professor Mike Thorndyke, University of Gothenburg
The Netherlands Professor Carlo Heip, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research
Professor Herman Hummel, Netherlands Institute for Ecology
UK Professor Georgina Mace, Imperial Colleage London
Professor David Raffaelli, University of York
USA Professor Charles Perrings, Arizona State University
Professor Graham Shimmield, Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences
Venezuela Professor Patricia Miloslavich, Universidad Simón Bolívar in Caracas
8
General Information
WCMB2011 Networking And Meetings
We are keen to support and maximise opportunities for networking and discussion at WCMB. Please be advised of the
following opportunities at the venue:
• Notice Board - available to add small notes or post messages or bulletins to inform delegates of ad hoc informal
m
eetings and discussions, wishes to meet other delegates, job opportunities, training or outreach courses/events,
o
r other items of generic interest.
• Meeting Point - we will designate a meeting point area to facilitate first contacts.
• Discussion Booths - a number of stands in the exhibition space will be allocated as self-reservable (30 minute slots)
discussion booths to facilitate small group discussions and/or meetings. There will be a user completed timetable
posted in each booth to indicate availability.
• Associated Meetings - formal scheduled meetings, as per http://www.marinebiodiversity.org/programme/
associated-meetings/ Please keep checking this page prior to the event for updates.
• Digital Object Sessions - digital objects will be viewable throughout the conference on an on-demand basis.
However, the program will also involve dedicated DO sessions at which authors will be available at a specified
screening to talk about their work. These sessions also provide informal networking opportunities within the
programme schedule.
• Direct Contact Details - please note that the organisers will not be able to divulge the email or telephone details of
named delegates. Delegates are advised to use the Meeting Point to establish contacts.
Passport and Visa
Participants are strongly advised to determine which requirements apply to them with respect to entering the UK. For
information please consult your UK Boarder Agency website or nearest British Embassy or travel agent.
Weather
Scotland's position on the edge of the European continent with sea on three sides means that the weather is very
varied! In September the weather is unpredictable, it can be glorious, but wet and windy conditions are not unusual.
The average high temperature is 15ºC, with the average low temperature being 7ºC.
Arrival
There are taxi ranks at the train/bus station and airport. A taxi from the airport to the AECC or City Centre costs
approximately £15 - 20. The train/bus station is situated in the city centre. A taxi from the train/bus station to the
AECC costs approximately £10.
Internet Access while at the AECC
Wireless access is available at the AECC via their wireless network. Visitors can sign up for wireless access via
http://www.wifb.net/ this can be done in advance or at the conference. Charges are:
• 1 hour wireless access £5.00 (accounts will expire after 60 minutes accumulated usage or 24 hours from first
access to the network).
• 1 day wireless access £20.00 (will expire after 24 hours accumulated usage or 1 week from first access to the
network).
• 1 week wireless access £75.00 (will expire 5 days after first access to the network).
Buses and Taxis
Park & Ride: Number 40
The Park & Ride service 40 operates between Bridge of Don and Kingswells via the City Centre, Monday to Saturday,
with a 10 minute peak service and a 15 minute off peak service.
The bus numbers 1 and 2 run from the city centre, along King’s Street and Ellon Road, they turn off at North Donside
Road which is 5 minutes walk from the AECC. The number 20 bus runs from the city centre through the University
campus to Hillhead Halls adjacent to King’s Street.
Taxis can be ordered from:
Rainbow/Bucksburn Taxis 01224 878787
Comcabs 01224 353535
Central Taxis 01224 898989
Transport to the Conference Dinner will be provided - more details will be available at the event.
9
C
ar Parking
Ample free car parking is available at the AECC.
Currency and Banks
The official currency of UK is £ sterling. Commonly accepted credit cards are Visa, and Mastercard. Display signs are
usually visible in all restaurants and shops indicating which cards they accept.
Travellers' cheques can be cashed at most banks. Most banks are closed on Saturday afternoons and all day Sunday.
There are foreign exchange booths at all major airports and in Aberdeen city centre. There are several ATMs at the
A
ECC: including one in the main concourse next to the café, and two at the West Entrance of the Arena. There is a full
r
ange of Banks in Aberdeen city centre.
Eating Out in Aberdeen
As with other cities, Aberdeen has a wide range of eateries catering for most tastes! You can get links to a range of
restaurants from http://www.webcafe.co.uk/ most of which provide a sample menu and an indication of price.
Local favourites in the City:
Bistro Verde (Seafood) 01224 586180 The Jewel in the Crown (Indian) 01224 210288
Blue Moon (Indian) 01224 589977 The Ashvale (Fish n’ Chips) 01224 575842
Café 52 (Mixed) 01224 590094 Sopranos (Mixed) 01224 590792
The Stage Door (European) 01224 642111 Musa (Mixed) 01224 571771
Sam’s (Chinese) 01224 626233 Prime Cut (Steak and Lobster) 01224 590127
Rustico (Southern Italian) 01224 658444
Smoking
There is no smoking allowed in any enclosed public area in Scotland.
Extending your Visit
If you are keen to stay longer either in the local area, or visiting the rest of Scotland, you can find information at
www.visitscotland.com
10
Oral Presentations Contents
01 How to translate
k
nowledge of marine
biodiversity into
b
iotechnological advance
0
010 Nawwar
0234 Prasannakumar
0273 Pippo
0288 Littlechild
0316 Chugh
0596 Panno
0606 Rauen
1150 Rocha
02 Challenge and opportunity
in marine macroecology
0038 Webb
0147 Thieltges
0152 McClain
0281 Blanchard
0351 Tyler
0419 Tittensor
0485 Vergnon
0551 Holt
0592 Mcdole
03 Life in a high CO2 world
0030 Levin
0296 Bradassi
0406 Semesi
0427 Calosi
0539 Naumann
0540 Blackford
0552 Catarino
0554 Rastrick
0655 Graham
0684 Wootton
0714 Tait
0740 Findlay
0758 Pinnegar
0824 Godbold
0852 Kamphausen
0872 Donohue
0877 Bagusche
0988 Khanna
1130 Opitz
1173 Bremner
04 Biodiversity of coral reefs
0039 Landa
0096 Stella
0128 Cole
0151 Caroselli
0276 Bo
0344 Edgar
0524 Nakatomi
0571 Chapman
0615 Padmakumar
0654 Harii
0657 Timmers
0660 Henriques
0754 Monteiro
0902 Caley
0934 Thomas
1
006 Waheed
1096 Winton
1
104 Comeros-raynal
1
109 Brooke
1114 Yesson
1119 Mary
1122 Islam
1165 Neal
05 Impact of biological
invasion on marine
biodiversity
0145 Krumhansl
0183 Raineri
0196 Lakkis
0208 Wijnhoven
0223 Canepa
0268 Cook
0291 Diamant
0368 Norkko
0444 Gallucci
0466 Green
0517 Moller
0608 Granhag
0700 Yokes
0839 Wilkie
0849 Maximov
0854 Katolikova
0893 Kochmann
0982 Marambio
0986 Cebrian
1065 Bracewell
06 Valuation of marine
biodiversity
0006 Slieker
0601 Marboe
0658 Ressurreicao
0761 Baulcomb
0762 Beaumont
0778 Jobstvogt
0795 Hynes
0931 Ghermandi
1016 Gravestock
1140 Fock
1158 White
07 Census of marine Life and
beyond
0129 Stoddart
0155 Yarincik
0159 Rowden
0279 Snelgrove
0359 Narayanaswamy
0328 Berghe
0488 Bucklin
0491 Bennedetti-Cecci
0520 Preide
0560 Linse
0586 Lowton
0591 Holm
0626 Consalvey
0
774 Shirayama
0923 Cruz-Motta
1
118 Halpin
08 Spatial patterns in
biodiversity
0003 Barnes
0067 Telesh
0106 Neat
0150 Di Camillo
0198 Lakkis
0213 Maria
0226 Compton
0307 Nakaoka
0322 Van Soest
0335 Idrees
0365 Bresnan
0428 Kwasniewski
0430 Bulleri
0440 Menard
0465 Merigot
0482 Chiantore
0490 Becking
0515 Falkenhaug
0522 Hartley
0564 Hubble
0573 Daigle
0585 Halsband-Lenk
0605 Miloslavich
0633 Materatski
0647 Roy
0698 Zajac
0736 Bergamino
0894 Tomasovych
0929 Vanden Berghe
1009 Holdredge
1030 Silva de Souza
1047 de Voogd
1081 Wlodarska-Kowalczuk
1089 Isachenko
1113 Weidberg
1121 Shiganova
1177 Pacheco
09 Marine protected areas : a
sea change in perception,
policy and law
0075 Dias
0078 Álvaro
0138 Morales
0180 Saxena
0256 Rocklin
0277 Saunders
0358 Mangubhai
0431 Tetley
0506 Sink
0550 Miller
0652 Bax
0668 Eddy
0686 Elliff
0703 Gili
11
0
712 Solandt
0713 Potts
0730 Rammelt
0797 ruiz-frau
0799 Lowe
0818 Portmann
0819 Von Nordhein
0870 Farschetti
0883 Fenburg
0900 Kulkani
0
978 Nisbet
0981 Langmead
1051 Koss
1055 Corrigan
1061 Ranger
1086 Black
1087 Villamor
1117 Riddiford
1133 Castillo
1155 English
1195 Corsi
10 Change and loss in marine
biodiversity from bycatch
in marine capture
fisheries and fishing
impacts
0046 Gilman
0107 Le Quesne
0160 Clark
0190 Murad
0227 Hall
0283 Jauthier
0353 Castritsi-Catharios
0617 Dunn
0706 Poonian
0737 Depestele
0805 Anderson
0884 Lewison
0909 Taylor
0912 Widman
1067 Maas
1073 Sheehan
1188 Villasante
11 Linking biodiversity
ecosystem function and
ecosystem services
0049 Long
0317 Fortes
0319 Paimpillil
0555 Cochrane
0604 Clarke
0667 Jordaan
0717 Incze
0741 Paliso
0922 Queiros
1024 Kurve
1031 Knights
1084 Liquete
1110 Skov
1167 Chan
1184 Redeker
1192 Holt
1
2 Intra-specific diversity in
marine fish stocks
0032 Vasil'eva
0047 Shan
0178 Wright
0252 Puerto
0299 Heino
0309 Olalde
0371 Kerr
0392 Zemeckis
0
408 von der Heyden
0454 Hackradt
0618 Hetman
0619 Vella
0701 Yokes
0716 Pardoe
0744 Gonzalez-Wanguemert
0881 Marshall
0915 Vella
0995 Roberts
1044 Rocklin
1049 Lelievre
0032 Jakobsdóttir.
13 Benthic session
0008 Denisenko
0014 Dorgham
0029 Brewin
0056 Murray
0080 Whitlatch
0136 Josefson
0144 Villnas
0149 Gollety
0161 Li
0165 Gunasekaran
0187 Vanavereeke
0193 Gustafsson
0210 Grimes
0259 Radziejewska
0290 Robar
0313 Chamdrabhotla
0341 Khalil
0364 Vyalova
0374 Studer
0404 Rao
0422 Tornroos
0453 Dolbeth
0460 Carey
0470 Noel
0507 Grant
0559 Panno
0621 Renault
0628 Piot
0634 Link
0643 O'Connor
0694 Altaff
0704 Palanisamy
0710 Rigolet
0743 Gonzalez-Wanguemert
0779 Somerfield
0807 Culhane
1146 Urban-Malinga
1148 Chan
1
4 Plankton
0018 Wolf
0055 Sarkar
0132 Rubino
0158 Fernandes
0232 Jin
0315 Chowdhury
0356 Eggers
0399 Amin
0804 Whyte
0
809 lorda
0835 yamamoto
0944 sano
0945 Lindsay
15 Climate change
0077 Eklof
0134 Dutkiewicz
0324 Mattheissen
0330 Lewandowska
0377 Billett
0437 Tsuchiya
0469 Asnaghi
0528 Johannesen
0720 Dawson
0813 Vieira
0920 Linares
0927 Ledoux
0930 Nicastro
0946 Sunday
0951 Sweetman
0957 Goodwin
1056 Shafer
1127 Grego
16 Bioinformatics
0065 Zollett
0231 Deudero
0260 Skuratova
0333 Vanden Berghe
0401 Miyamoto
0474 Vandepitte
0693 Danis
0719 Mcclintock
0928 Berghe
17 Marine Renewables
0119 Coates
0423 Schlappy
0441 Mcleod
0509 O'Keefe
0529 Wade
0580 Hastie
0860 Savidge
18 Maritime spatial planning
0035 Smit
0204 Johnson
0257 Pascual
0398 Hill
0650 Buhl-Mortensen
0663 Jordaan
0769 Vaz
0851 Delavenne
12
0
924 Bordalo
0983 Cresswell
1019 Broggiato
19 Changes in biodiversity
with time
0026 Sonnewald
0088 Reichert
0139 Klais
0181 Escribano
0
195 Villnas
0211 Falace
0230 Ojaveer
0308 Naughton
0325 Balazy
0339 Hewitt
0366 Rilov
0376 Lajus
0379 Teixido
0380 Laguionie-Marchais
0462 Kaschner
0478 Grzelak
0536 Zhou
0578 Silva
0630 Ramano
0636 Kalogeropoulou
0653 Record
0708 Sondrine
0742 Canovas
0782 somerfield
0796 Qing
0857 Manson
0917 Vella
0936 Martin
0968 Skolv
0977 Litvinchuk
1023 Kamenos
1077 Brito
20 Biodiversity and
Ecosystem functioning
(Theory)
0066 Parker
0076 Azovsky
0137 Gamfeldt
0164 Boeuf
0342 Shenkar
0394 Morissette
0397 Duffy
0411 Christos
0500 Weslawski
0611 Crowe
0629 Seguin
0773 Plum
0820 Lemieux
21 Trophic Linkages
0262 O'Gorman
0274 Del Monte-Luna
0280 Fleming
0294 Byrnes
0304 Thurber
0447 Pozzato
0531 De Troch
0
641 Tilves
0656 Morozov
0709 Rabichandran
0738 Paredes
0960 Schiedek
1052 Griffin
22 Education, Training and
Outreach
0007 Fuentes
0
100 Savini
0486 Loder
0502 Sluka
0613 Miller
0687 Masagca
0749 Rahman
0766 Veron
0767 Boero
0775 Fessehaye
0878 Brailovskaya
0937 Zettler
1083 Elliff
1132 Maia
23 Fossil records of marine
biodiversity
0073 Zezina
0467 Sigwart
0825 Smith
0829 Renema
0847 Mayhew
0885 Sallan
0903 Butterfield
0905 Owen
0906 Herringshaw
0919 Minter
0949 Love
1004 Uchman
1012 Echavarri
1015 McGowan
1103 Sansom
1147 Howe
1153 Shubhabrata
24 Methodological
considerations and new
tools
0179 Aguzzi
0245 Buhl-Mortensen
0346 Koulouri
0357 Yucel
0702 Bucher
0811 Lindley
0814 Fischer
0866 Redding
1107 Ross
25 Physical structures and
habitat forming biota
0269 Cotterell
0270 Wenkamp
0292 Bendell
0295 Fujii
0345 Bishop
0
414 Airoldi
0417 Miller
0599 Willis
0853 Pearce
0862 Dubois
1175 Strain
26 Structural and functional
diversity of marine
microbes
0
545 Gilbertson
0635 Amaral-Zettler
0784 Tait
0850 Danovaro
0955 Luna
1139 Lin
27 Molecular and
phylogenetic approaches
0264 Artamonova
0420 Weiner
0527 Sinniger
0533 Stefanni
0576 Krueger-Hadfield
0598 Meyer
0639 Baco
0727 Blanco-Bercial
0783 Tait
0868 Bell
0896 Watanabe
0962 Schierwater
0972 Cocca
0973 Derycke
0991 Fransen
0999 Barrios
1005 Barnes
1027 Aryasari
1048 DeSalle
1069 van der Meij
1072 Ruggiero
1178 Gonzalez-Wevar
1183 Cubelio
28 Integrative frameworks
0219 Pershing
0240 Escaravage
0396 Sutcliffe
0413 Costa
0452 Valanko
0833 Castilla
0888 Bobkov
0939 Yamakita
0950 Muthumbi
0987 Araujo
29 Marine Policy and Law
0044 Bos
0249 Hoskin
0275 Cook
0278 Solandt
0310 Siswandi
0381 Jabour
0386 Nurhidayah
0390 Espectato
13
0
438 Oates
0473 Carvalho
0476 Matheringham
0544 Tunesi
0561 O'Hagan
0575 Maxwell
0583 Stoker
0666 Bello
0688 Masagca
0722 Warner
0
723 Shearing
0726 Lemke
0728 Grilo
0745 McDowell
0751 Losi
0791 Monteclaro
0815 Monteferri
0830 Juniper
0845 Gonzalez-Laxe
0901 Broggiato
0907 Sibuet
0935 Davis
0956 Rodgers
1008 Gjerde
1033 Bergess
1057 Richardson
1078 Mallon
1080 Dunn
1097 Hooley
1135 Bloomfield
1161 McClenachan
1180 Blyth
30 Discovering life in the
ocean
0025 Schuller
0090 Bik
0095 Wang
0123 Graves
0131 Angel
0133 Boeuf
0169 Yurakhno
0214 Lancheros
0233 Parin
0352 Bouchet
0395 Sutcliffe
0410 Ismial
0443 Boxshall
0448 Appletons
0484 Chevaldonne
0523 Prakash
0542 Sinniger
0553 Dettai
0570 Creer
0589 Bineesh
0661 Brainard
0725 Bamber
0816 Poore
0855 Cornils
0891 Kotwicki
1011 Parakash
1041 Brandao
1059 Goodwin
1068 Jackson
3
1 New statistical approaches
0023 O'Hara
0185 Dunstan
0393 Leaper
0582 Taylor
0642 Valls
0771 Macneil
0777 Somerfield
0810 Dunlop
1054 thomson
32 Human impacts on
biodiversity
0013 Dorgham
0020 Monton
0033 Smit
0074 Hendy
0157 Mulsow
0167 Abubakar
0192 De Backer
0194 Atkinson
0197 Goren
0202 Galkin
0207 Lozach
0218 Medina-Vogel
0224 McDiarmid
0228 Hammerton
0236 Riedel
0239 Cook
0271 Pais
0293 Howard
0336 Cardenas
0337 Thrush
0409 Liu
0547 Saloni
0734 olli
0781 Adams
0789 Jimenez
0802 Murugesan
0817 Worm
0865 Cibic
0895 Rowland
0921 Shingala
0990 Robinson
0992 Giberto
0996 Henkel
1088 Shank
33 Diversity and function of
deep-sea ecosystems
0041 Jamieson
0062 Elsner
0063 Rothe
0064 Tecchio
0081 McClain
0082 Shea
0097 Brandt
0143 Paterson
0171 Kamenskaya
0177 Lacharite
0225 Dunstan
0229 Newman
0254 Frutos
0303 Dupreez
0
372 Leduc
0407 Kitazato
0416 lecroq
0459 Tyler
0477 Ruhl
0480 Allcock
0497 Metaxas
0511 Falkenhaug
0556 Higgs
0568 Auel
0
587 Horton
0590 Jenio
0602 Bongiorni
0607 Da Silva
0614 Corliss
0624 Colaco
0625 Robert
0638 Shields
0846 gambi
0867 Ingels
0874 Archambault
0876 Witte
1020 Ramos
1025 Van reusel
1038 Hunter
1157 Mayor
34 Biodiversity and
ecosystem function in
extreme habitats
0022 Vikas
0087 Shadrin
0110 Martins
0127 Forget
0146 Giordano
0222 Bettencourt
0243 Sergeyeva
0331 Grigor
0340 Burgaud
0363 Copley
0449 Singh
0457 Alcock
0505 Alt
0508 Gugliandolo
0565 Morato
0577 Cunha
0646 Havermans
0662 Ridgeway
0669 Rapp
0724 Carrasco
0764 Memot
0832 Siefert
0898 Seo
0979 konovalova
1214 Wuerzberg
35 Antarctic
0004 Janussen
0069 Hogg
0347 Glover
0387 Smith
0487 Schiaparelli
0489 Eleaume
0495 Hemery
14
0
530 Lecointre
0548 Linse
0572 Bottaro
0715 Di Prisco
0750 Kaiser
0772 Majewska
0787 Gerard
0943 Diaz
0970 Hanel
1029 Garcia
1
166 Campos
1181 Dahlgren
15
0537 Agnesi
0
651 Bax
0718 Incze
0
938 Baki Yokes
1
209 Venter
10 Change and loss in marine
biodiversity from bycatch
in marine capture
fisheries and fishing
impacts
0060 Skejic
0258 Silva Caparro
0378 Elliff
0521 D'Anna
0600 Romanov
0707 Poonian
0940 Cuevas
1189 Villasante
1221 Trueman
11 Linking biodiversity
ecosystem function and
ecosystem services
0355 Saxena
0569 de Juan
0665 Silva-Jr
0980 Moens
1112 Echavarri
1191 Wood
1196 Edyvane
1210 Maupome
1219 Gingold
12 Intra-specific diversity in
marine fish stocks
0263 Shelmerdine
0301 Heino
0436 Sobrino
0503 Omoloye Omogoriola
1091 Arreguin-Sanchez
1138 Lajus
1141 Rocha
1151 Jakobsdottir
13 Benthic session
0009 Soares-Gomes
0101 Martinez-Daranas
0175 Bhattacharjee
0189 Aguzzi
0200 Naskar
0203 Naskar
0282 Galkin
0284 Naumov
0418 Kurhe
0458 Balkhis Abu Bakar
0534 Sivadas
0597 Sava
0631 Genelt-Yanovskiy
0680 Parschiv
0768 Michie
0770 Sevastou
01 How to translate
k
nowledge of marine
biodiversity into
b
iotechnological advance
0
334 Broggiato
1174 Pandey
02 Challenge and opportunity
in marine macroecology
0212 Krystalli
0644 Rosca
03 Life in a high CO2 world
0057 Murray
0135 McConville
0267 Calosi
0314 Bradassi
0361 Noisette
0432 Krause
0461 Collard
0780 Moulin
0984 Khanna
1002 jansson
1199 Byrne
1207 Hale
04 Biodiversity of coral reefs
0068 Galvis
0070 Scaps
0071 Nakajima
0093 Raj
0121 Samiei
0166 Giusti
0191 Sharma
0199 Schlappy
0558 Fusianto
0755 Chavanich
0840 Raghunathan
0904 Hoeksema
0926 Widman
0953 Yeemin
1010 Smith
1045 Santodomingo
1115 Arifin
05 Impact of biological
invasion on marine
biodiversity
0221 Galil
0247 Yilman
0519 Kilsarova
0677 Yuliya
0732 Morandini
0793 Janas
0910 Norling
0963 Tavlaridis
0994 Giberto
1001 Henkel
1034 Monteiro
1090 Sousa Pinto
1172 Sabour
1211 Mejia
06 Valuation of marine
b
iodiversity
0
7 Census of marine Life and
b
eyond
0072 Baker
0186 Moretzsohn
0513 Alt
0518 Alt
0746 Wei
0941 Fujikura
1218 Menot
08 Spatial patterns in
biodiversity
0016 Sanjarani
0045 Nair
0109 Biseswar
0116 Nimak-Wood
0188 Santi
0237 Samargiu
0242 Palomo
0253 Turekten
0255 Rueda
0312 AminJoyo
0369 Keskin
0391 Ariyanto
0412 Reimer
0415 Temir
0434 Deudero
0479 Chavan
0481 Sautya
0512 Marques
0546 Hidalgo
0574 Hackradt
0579 Rios
0588 Chapman
0612 Gokturk
0672 Giberto
0679 Salvati
0683 Woo
0831 Rumohr
0908 Zhang
0942 Hill
0989 Fitzgerald
0997 Janson
1018 Thandar
1043 Tiltack
1046 Sellanes
1062 Trocchia
1074 Demir
1202 Maduray
1212 Far
1213 Far
1216 Ballance
1217 Kuepper
09 Marine protected areas : a
sea change in perception,
policy and law
0024 Galvan Villa
0201 La Mesa
Digital Object Presentations Contents
16
0
792 Aristov
0821 Loazach
0859 Bochert
0863 Pachiappan
0864 Ingels
0869 Crockett
0914 Ruiz-Delgado
1035 Reyes-Martinez
1058 Cristobo
1060 Herrera-Orozco
1
079 Lustres-Perez
1082 Merculief
1094 Rath
1099 Viadero
1102 Rath
1129 Baki Yokes
1168 Millan
1190 de Paoli
1206 Hale
14 Plankton
0015 Sanjarani
0027 Tran Manh
0050 Biju
0091 Satpathy
0153 Vinas
0184 Alguero
0244 Vansteenbrugge
0306 Lucas
0451 Papantoniou
0472 Litvinuk
0557 Aktan
0622 Garcia
0670 Schnack-Shiel
0757 Panasiuk-Chodnicka
0786 Wootton
0834 Ramsak
0836 Hayashi
0838 Fernandes
0892 Petrunina
0925 Helenius
0998 Panasiuk-Chodnicka
1095 Acuna
1126 Oliveira
1136 Blachowiak-Samolyk
15 Climate change
0329 Ediang
0375 Studer
0388 Casas-Guell
0965 Sutthacheep
1124 Boehnke
1194 Ginnevar
16 Bioinformatics
0640 Dickson Allison
17 Marine Renewables
0235 Deudero
0494 Langton
18 Maritime spatial planning
0028 Deidun
0664 Martins-Silva-Jr
0
759 Khan-Marnie
1007 Mazlumyan
1026 Forsterra
1042 Koss
1197 McWhinnie
19 Changes in biodiversity
with time
0098 AminiYekta
0099 Izadi
0
148 Pachiappan
0154 Sherrin
0156 Saad
0205 Cappanera
0217 Sava
0376 Lajus
0429 Merigot
0435 Sobrino
0493 Acosta Rivera
0538 Monteiro
0705 Silva-Jr
0721 Saxena
0760 Nicotera
0776 Milani
0798 Morandini
0803 Sun
0806 Borg
0822 Norman
0844 Griffiths
0932 Vafeiadou
0952 Chiba
0969 Tubio
1021 Elliff
1032 Ramos
1098 Mandal
20 Biodiversity and
Ecosystem functioning
(Theory)
0501 Cesar
0729 Rombouts
0735 Lercari
0756 Darr
0848 Danovaro
0911 Gallon
21 Trophic Linkages
0012 Simon
0126 Riascos
0305 Christensen
0421 Rosca
0463 Rosca
0471 Leclerc
0627 Bergstad
22 Education, Training and
Outreach
0142 Acma
0162 Relini
0400 Christensen
0455 Danilova
0532 Lowe
0610 Schlaeppy
0678 Klisarova
0
765 Matias
0856 Matias
0964 Arija
0966 Arija
0967 Reinach
1039 Brandao
1066 Carvalho
1071 Bradassi
1116 Wood
1142 Lajus
1
162 Kusuma
1163 de Lima Silva
1170 Crundwell
1208 Pattenden
23 Fossil records of marine
biodiversity
0889 Forsey
1014 McCormick
1179 Gonzalex-Wevar
24 Methodological
considerations and new
tools
0042 Jamieson
0083 Schlining
0103 Bitunjac
0120 Gunn-Folmer
0174 Aguzzi
0266 Tsarin
0287 Fleming
0300 Tunicliffe
0338 Weir
0349 Fujioka
0354 Rusdi
0362 Nicolosi
0389 Dursun
0492 Vellutini
0595 Brix
0603 Willis
0674 Soto Angel
0748 Mazzoldi
0811 Ruhl
0827 Linley
0887 Gambi
1123 Vanden Berghe
1125 Rouse
1164 Mouret
1201 Moustahfid
25 Physical structures and
habitat forming biota
0005 Trigg
0122 Bagur
0323 Asgari
0475 Leclerc
0566 Kurhe
0620 Rodrigues
0790 Suyadi
0826 Omoloye
0880 Ferrario
17
0
616 Tempera
0623 Tyler
0659 D'Onghia
0676 Budaeva
0681 Arronte
0690 Tyler
0692 Lourido
0763 Thistle
0785 Nagano
0801 Gontikaki
0
812 Haseman
0858 Rogers
0875 Matabos
0897 Roberts
1013 Kihara
1022 Shields
1036 Crockard
1040 Garcia-lsarch
1064 Troncoso
1100 Porteiro
1159 Ross
1171 Best
1176 Ramirez-Llodra
1220 Trueman
1222 Reuman
34 Biodiversity and
ecosystem function in
extreme habitats
0085 Burova
0168 Kucheryavyi
0238 Samargiu
0248 Rueda
0289 Goroslavskaya
0370 Marsh
0958 Rapp
1106 Loxton
1169 Weslawski
1186 Mukhopadhyay
35 Antarctic
0108 Gocke
0348 Neal
0496 Alvaro
0499 Soto Angel
0584 Vannini
0675 Lecointre
0691 Tyler
1063 Maturana
0842 Other
2
6 Structural and functional
diversity of marine
microbes
0017 Kunai
0114 Hao
0498 Maugeri
0562 Gugliandolo
27 Molecular and
phylogenetic approaches
0
031 Ardura
0034 Vasil'eva
0043 Janussen
0048 Hampton
0320 Acevedo
0403 Bhadury
0543 Jossart
0609 Paulo
0695 De Iorio
0697 Spiteri
0753 Liu
0828 Sukhodub
1028 Cavallo
1053 Mohrbeck
1075 Ruggeri
1137 Gallut
1156 Batta-Lona
1182 Wiklund
1204 Schiavetti
28 Integrative frameworks
29 Marine Policy and Law
0220 Luk
0286 Snelgrove
1101 Liquete
1160 Smith
30 Discovering life in the
ocean
0089 Kharkevych
0111 Zhang
0182 Cortes
0332 Nye
0343 Mosyaftiani
0373 Grohmann
0445 Ravara
0446 Antokhina
0516 Costa
0535 Tandberg
0594 Kihara
0671 Pierrot-Bults
0711 Dall'Olio
0733 Valenzuela-Quinonez
0739 Wang
0747 Curini-Galletti
0918 Moura
0975 Cristobo
1003 Mytilleneou
1037 McGowan
1085 Borissanova
1092 Geoffroy
1093 Cristobo
1105 Troncoso
1
193 Hussain
1198 Levy
1203 Gabilondo-Toscano
1205 Kazmi
31 New statistical approaches
1070 Pata
32 Human impacts on
biodiversity
0
019 Rodriguez
0058 Bremec
0059 Demirel
0084 Sanagoudra
0086 Martin
0092 Abdennadher
0094 Akpan Ekom
0125 Calizza
0130 Sanagoudra
0172 Caronni
0215 Salmeron
0250 Al-Tawaha
0272 Weir
0382 Azam
0464 Brooks
0685 Kingsberry
0699 Moritz
0794 Amaral
0823 Norman
0837 Elliff
0843 Diaz-Castaneda
0861 MaudeDubois
0890 Landers
0899 Revathi
0913 Mohammed
0948 Riera
0954 Slabber
0971 Joseph
0976 Oton
0985 Wan Hussin
0993 Main
1108 O'Donovan
1143 Quine
1145 Mayor
1185 Medio
33 Diversity and function of
deep-sea ecosystems
0036 Rose
0079 Chivers
0140 Martin
0141 Paterson
0246 Rueda
0251 Rueda
0298 Belley
0360 Enge
0367 Amon
0456 Duffy
0504 Kedra
0510 Craig
0514 Tandberg
0525 Ferrero
0526 Cristobo
0593 Thistle
18
ORAL ABSTRACTS BY THEME
19
20
01/0010
A
triacylglycerol from a Red Sea marine-derived Deuteromycete sp.
Mahmoud Nawwar, Sahar Hussein, Heba Barakat
, Amani Hashim, Gudrun
M
ernitz, Beate Cuypers, Ulrike Lindequist, Michael Linscheid
National Research Centre, Dokki, Cairo, Egypt
Abstract
M
arine-derived fungi have proven to be rich sources of secondarymetabolites
t
hat have both unique structures (Bugni and Ireland, 2004) and potential as
pharmaceutical leads (Bugni et al., 2003). In particular, fungi obtained from
w
oody substrates have yielded novel metabolites with potent antibacterial and
cytotoxic activities (Renner et al., 1998; Kobayashi et al., 2003). This potential has
led us to investigate the biological activity and the chemistry of the secondary
m
etabolites contained in the dichloromethane extract of a fungal strain, MF 014
o
btained from a submerged mangrove sample, collected at the shore of the Red
S
ea, Safaga, Egypt. The strain belongs to the Deuteromycetes. Extract of strain
M
F 014 yielded the triacylglycerol, 1,3-O-bis-cis-11-eicosenoyl 2-O-cis-9,cis-12-
n
onadecadienoyl (1) that proved to be a new natural product. Isolation and
structure elucidation of the compound (1) by NMR spectroscopy and by mass
spectrometry are reported herein. On the other hand, the extract exhibited in
vitro cytotoxic activity.
01/0234
E
ffect of Temperature on Marine Seaweed Gracillaria Verrucosa and Spinosad
f
or the Control of Coastal Malarial Vector Anopheles Sundaicus (l.) in Tamil
Nadu, India.
K
anagarajan Prasannakumar
,
Kadarkarai Murugan
B
harathiar University, Coimbatore, Tamilnadu, India
Abstract
L
aboratory investigation has been carried out to test the effect of Gracilaria
verrucosa (Hudson) a marine sea weed collected from Gulf of Mannar and
s
ubjected for insecticidal property that inhibits mosquito population. The
phytochemicals 4-methyl-7-methoxycoumarin derivatives derived from marine
sea weeds have provided numerous beneficial uses ranging from
p
harmaceuticals to insecticides. Microbial insecticide Spinosad also effectively
k
ill mosquito larvae and relatively safer to the environment. In this aspect study
i
s to evaluate the effect of seaweed extract Gracillaria verrcosa and Microbial
i
nsecticide Spinosad for the successful control of Coastal vector at the different
c
oastal region of Tamil Nadu, India. The results revealed that the combined
treatment of Gracillaria verrcosa extract and bacterial toxins had higher efficacy
than the individual treatments. It reveals that active chemicals 4-methyl-7-
methoxycoumarin derivatives combined with microbial insecticides will help to
kill the spectrum of mosquito larvae in the breeding habitats. This paper
discusses on the use of natural products from the marine ecosystem for eco-
f
riendly mosquito vector management at the coastal areas.
0
1/0273
S
creening of marine biofilm-forming cyanobacteria for exopolysaccharide
production and biotechnological application.
F. Di Pippo
1
, P. Magni
2
, E. Micheletti
3
, G.A. Fenzi
2
, A. Perilli
2
, R. De Philippis
3
, P.
A
lbertano
1
1
LBA-Laboratory for Biology of Algae, Department of Biology, University of Rome
“
Tor Vergata”, 00133 Rome, Italy,
2
C
NR–IAMC, National Research Council, Institute
for Coastal Marine Environment, 09170 Oristano, Italy,
3
Agricolture Biotechnology,
U
niversity of Florence, 50144 Florence, Italy
Abstract
B
enthic phototrophic primary producers may develop at the sediment surface in
the form of biofilms in which cyanobacteria and microalgae are embedded in a
c
ommon matrix that contributes to the cohesive properties of sediments. The
matrix is an hydrated system composed of extracellular polymeric substances,
mainly exopolysaccharides. In terms of biotechnological application, the
cyanobacterial exopolysaccharides represent a good alternative to the use of
polysaccharides of plant and algal origin in many industrial sectors. In addition,
the anionic nature of these polymers allows the binding and accumulation of
cations making biofilm exploitation useful for the removal of metals from polluted
waters and in waste water treatment plants. Furthermore, sulphated
cyanobacterial exopolysaccharides represent natural products with
pharmacological activity, including inhibition of viral infections. In this study, a
number of cyanobacteria were isolated from biofilms growing on the sediment
surface of the Cabras lagoon (Sardinia, Italy) and cultivated at different culture
conditions. Exopolysaccharides were extracted and quantified and their
monosaccharide composition was determined. Results are discussed with respect
to future experimental endeavours to unravel the possible optimisation strategies
for the application of cyanobacteria anionic exopolysaccharides in biotechnology.
0
1/0288
M
arine Enzymes with Applications for Biocatalysis
Jennifer Littlechild
University of Exeter, Exeter, Devon, UK
Abstract
A
t Exeter Biocatalysis Centre, we work with several marine enzymes that have
applications for biocatalysis. These include vanadium haloperoxidases from
m
arine algae Corallina species, dehalogenases from several marine bacteria in
c
ollaboration with Aquapharm, Oban and novel marine viral proteins in
collaboration with Plymouth Marine Laboratories, UK. We have also worked on
e
nzymes from thermophilic marine archaea such as the L-aminoacylase from
Thermococcus litoralis and an alcohol dehydrogenase from Aeropyrum pernix.
The presentation will include details on enzyme discovery, cloning,
c
haracterisation including X-ray structural determination. Several of the
enzymes have been immobilised into microreactors for rapid substrate
screening. The commercial application of these enzymes will also be addressed.
01/0316
Role of marine bioprospecting contracts in developing access and benefit
sharing mechanism for marine traditional knowledge holders in the
pharmaceutical industry.
Archana Chugh
, Pooja Bhatia
Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Delhi, India
Abstract
Marine biodiversity is an attractive genetic resource pool owing to the unique
characteristics of the marine organisms conferred by the extreme conditions of
the marine environment. The coastal indigenous communities have been using
these marine bioresources for various purposes including disease treatment and
consequently devloped marine traditional knowledge. The blue gold rush has
increased the biopropecting activities in the coastal areas for novel drug
development. Many pharmaceutical companies depend upon the marine
traditional knowledge for initial screening of the samples and background
information. Therefore, well laid guidelines that will curb biopiracy of marine
organisms as well provide recognition to the traditional knowledge holding
communities are the need of the hour. Various legal instruments envisage to
promote the access and benefit sharing mechanism for indigenous communities
as it will bring recognition and incentive for community development. The
intellectual property tools cannot effectively aid in developing a robust benefit
sharing scheme, however, sui generis system that involves marine
bioprospecting contracts can be a significant tool for the development of a
successful access and benefit sharing mechanism that will safeguard the
interests of coastal communities as well as monitor the use of marine bio-
resources in an environment friendly sustainable manner.
01/0596
Marine Fungi: Extracellular Enzymes Production and Screening of Fungal
Strains for Pharmaceutical Properties.
Luigi Panno
1
, Antonella Anastasi
1
, Samuele Voyron
1
, Annemarie Kramer
2
, Antje
Labes
2
, Giovanna Cristina Varese
1
1
Mycoteca Universitatis Taurinensis (M.U.T.), Department of Plant Biology, Faculty of
Science M.F.N., University of Turin
2
Kieler Wirkstoff-Zentrum am IFM-
GEOMAR,Germany
Abstract
The marine ecosystem is an extreme environment characterized by high salinity,
low water activity and scarcity of nutriment. Marine fungi are depending from sea
salt, play important ecological roles and represent a large source of novel
metabolites and enzymes. Despite their great biotechnological and
pharmaceutical potential, they remain one of the most under-explored group of
organisms in the marine environment.
A large number of marine Ascomycetes, cultured at different salt concentrations,
was tested by means of a quali-quantitative microtitre plate method for the rapid
screening of oxidoreductase (laccases, peroxidases) and tannase activity. Several
fungal isolates showed a good enzyme production, many of them exclusively at
high salt concentrations. These findings suggest that marine Ascomycetes play
an important ecological role in the decomposition of lignocellulosic matrixes in
the marine environment and are a good source for exploitation of these enzymes.
Moreover, we are currently analyzing our strains for the presence of polyketide
synthase (PKS) and nonribosomial peptide synthetase (NRPS) genes. In fact, it is
known that strains possessing either PKS or NRPS genes produce a significantly
higher number of secondary metabolites of pharmaceutical interest offering a
secondary valuable resource of the chosen strains.
21
01/0606
M
icroalgae and their filtrates as agents for the control of bacterial abundance
i
n cultivation media for the Black Sea turbot.
T
etyana Rauen
,
Antonina Khanaichenko, Vladimir Mukhanov
Institute of Biology of the Southern Seas, NAS of Ukraine, Sevastopol, Ukraine
Abstract
A
widespread overuse of antibiotics in the world aquaculture has led to
e
mergence of antibiotic resistant bacteria, subsequent production crashes and
risks to human health. Alternative, environmental-friendly methods of
m
aintaining healthy cultivation media are being developed now and commonly
associated with the concept of ‘probionts’ able to interfere with pathogenic
bacteria, for instance, by producing inhibitory or antibacterial components. In
t
his study, effect of the five microalgal species, Chlorella vulgaris, Platymonas
v
iridis, Dunaliella salina, Isochrysis galbana, Thalassiosira weissflogii, and their
f
iltrates on bacterial abundance in cultivation media for the Black Sea turbot
(
Psetta maxima var maeoticus) was examined by flow cytometry. The well-known
a
ntimicrobial properties of I. galbana were not revealed while chlorella proved to
be the only species whose culture suspension and cell-free filtrate exhibited a
significant bactericidal effect. Moreover, chlorella was able to prevent a bacterial
outbreak during the transition period from endogenous to exogenous feeding of
the larvae. To reduce bacterial contamination in the tanks for egg incubation and
larval rearing, chlorella can be added to the media over all the stages of
e
mbryonic and larval development of the turbot, including yolk sac stage larvae.
01/1150
C
nidarians as a source of new marine drugs - most promising compounds in
t
he 21st century and future steps for bioprospecting
J
oana Rocha
1
,
Luisa Peixe
2
,
Newton Gomes
1
,
Ricardo Calado
1
1
CESAM, Universidade de Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal,
2
Laboratório de Microbiologia,
F
aculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
Abstract
T
he marine environment is a rich source of compounds with unique
biotechnological potential. Although sponges are the foremost providers of
m
arine natural products, cnidarians are also being studied in this field with
promising results. We present an overview of the most promising marine natural
products produced by cnidarians described in the 21st century. Anthozoans are
b
y far the cnidarian group exhibiting the highest number of promising marine
n
atural compounds, namely species within the orders Alcyonacea and
G
orgonecea. These organisms occupy marine habitats that can be easily
a
ccessed for the collection of biomass (e.g. coral reefs and intertidal regions),
f
acilitating bioprospecting. Antitumor activity has been the major area of interest
in the screening of cnidarian compounds, followed by antimicrobials (namely
anti-HIV, antimalarial, antibiotics) and anti-inflammatory. The most promising
compounds isolated so far are terpenoids, namely diterpenes. Future
perspectives, such us marine aquarium industry, are also discussed for the
bioprospecting of new marine natural products produced by cnidarians.
0
2/0038
T
owards a Trait-Based Macroecology
Tom Webb
University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
Abstract
M
acroecology has developed with a strong focus on species: Where does species
x occur? How many individuals are there of species y? Increasingly, the
l
imitations of this species-centric view of the world are becoming apparent.
D
iscussions of ecosystem function require an understanding of the role that
species play within an ecosystem; this in turn generally requires knowledge of
t
heir biological traits. This creates particular problems in the marine
environment, where not only are we ignorant of the biological characteristics of a
l
arge proportion of species; but also traits (which determine the relationships of
an individual organism with its biotic and abiotic environment) frequently vary
considerably within species. For instance, traits change through time either
abruptly (e.g. planktonic larvae settling as benthic adults) or continuously (e.g.
growth in mass of individual fish over orders of magnitude). In this talk, I will
discuss several promising ways of incorporating both inter- and intraspecific
variation in biological traits into marine macroecological research, using
examples from vertebrate and invertebrate groups. In so doing, I will also
highlight the significant challenges, in particular of data availability, that need to
be overcome in order to switch from a species-centred to a functional conception
of macroecology.
0
2/0147
M
acroecology of Marine Parasites
David Thieltges
NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Texel, Netherlands
Abstract
Marine macroecology is a young field in marine ecology. So far it has mainly
f
ocused on free-living organisms like algae, macrobenthos and fish. This
presentation aims to put parasites on the macroecological agenda. The incentive
t
o study large-scale patterns of parasitism is two-fold. On the one hand,
parasites deserve interest in their own right as understanding patterns and
p
rocesses in parasite distribution and abundance helps to test the generality of
macroecological theory. On the other hand, such an understanding helps to
d
etermine large-scale patterns of disease risk for hosts, as parasites are well
known ecological and evolutionary drivers for their hosts. I will illustrate
opportunities and challenges of macroecological work on marine parasites by
presenting recent and ongoing studies in this field and by developing some
conceptual models.
02/0152
Macroecological Patterns in the Deep Sea: General Implications for Ecological
Systems.
Craig McClain
National Evolutionary Synthesis Center, Durham, NC, USA
Abstract
Modern ecological investigation in the deep sea began only 50 years ago. Yet this
field’s history, from the very beginning, has by necessity possessed an implicit
macroecological perspective. In part this has arisen because the deep sea’s vast
size (72% of the earth’s surface) and extreme environment (low food availability,
low temperature, lack of light, and high pressure) makes exploration difficult and
experimental manipulations problematic. Despite this natural macroecological
perspective, deep-sea studies were not until recently explicitly macroecological.
Utilizing this comparative, quantitative approach seems promising for
understanding the structure and function of deep-sea ecosystems. Like many
fields of study, deep-sea biology originated as a descriptive science, but the
current availability of multiple, spatially distributed samples and other
quantitative data is without precedent. Recently, analyses of these data have
revealed several macroecological patterns that challenge current ideas about
the deep sea and ecological theory. In this talk, I will synthesize the
macroecological patterns and processes of the deep-sea fauna and compare
these patterns to those from other ecosystems. I will discuss briefly the role,
history, and implications of deep-sea ecology for the overall field of
macroecology.
02/0281
Deep-sea macroecology & fisheries
Julia Blanchard
1
, Charles Edwards
1
, Jonathan Beecham
2
, Verena Trenkel
3
,
Pascal Lorance
3
1
Imperial College, London, UK,
2
Cefas, Lowestoft, UK,
3
Ifremer, Nantes, France
Abstract
Changes in macroecological patterns such as abundance-body size and
abundance-occupancy relationships can be used to assess the level of impacts
occurring in marine ecosystems. These are particularly useful in cases where
high quality monitoring data are lacking, such as in the deep-sea. Process-based
models that explain these patterns can be used to test how body size and
occupancy distributions change with increasing pressures and can inform
management. We give an overview of new approaches that are emerging and
challenges ahead.
22
02/0351
E
xtensive gaps and biases in our knowledge of a well-known marine fauna:
i
mplications for integrating biological traits into macroecology.
T
om Webb
1
E
lizabeth Tyler
2
e
t al.
1
University of Sheffield, UK,
2
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology,
T
huwal, Saudi Arabia,et al.
Abstract
I
ntegrating biological traits into community ecology allows us to understand
mechanisms behind macroecological patterns, predict the composition of
c
ommunities and link biodiversity with ecosystem function. These approaches
are currently limited by a lack of trait data, but this has not been quantified. We
assess the gaps and biases in our knowledge of an entire, well-studied fauna:
t
he demersal UK marine fauna (comprising 973 fish and macro-benthic
i
nvertebrates). Although body size is known for the majority (80%) of species,
s
even other fundamental traits are unknown for at least two thirds of species.
T
hese include feeding and movement mode, that may easily be inferred from
m
orphology and therefore do not require lengthy observation of live specimens.
Unsurprisingly, we know more about species we commonly sample. Several
biases emerge which enable us to target future data collection: species which
are larger-bodied, commercially important or of conservation concern are
significantly better known. The UK has one of the best surveyed marine fauna,
therefore knowledge of other marine fauna is likely to be even scarcer. Our
a
nalysis reveals deep ignorance of the basic biology of a well-studied fauna and
h
ighlights the need for global efforts to collect and collate trait data across entire
ecosystem assemblages.
02/0419
M
odelling the mechanisms of global marine change in the 21st century
Derek Tittensor
1
, Mike Harfoot
1
, Tim Newbold
1
, Drew Purves
2
, Jorn
S
charlemann
1
1
UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre, Cambridge,
C
ambridgeshir, UK,
2
M
icrosoft Research, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, UK
Abstract
M
acroecological approaches have been criticized for simply describing patterns,
rather than examining the underlying mechanisms that generate those patterns.
A
n understanding of processes is important for projecting future change, as an
alternative to extending correlative patterns spatially or temporally. Here we
describe a preliminary process-based model of ecosystem functioning at global
s
cales. The model tracks how energy and nutrient flow among marine organisms
r
esults from ecological and ecophysiological processes such as herbivory,
p
redation, stoichiometry and respiration. We compare model output with maps of
e
cosystem functional richness and evenness based on characteristics such as
b
ody size and diet. The model couples marine and terrestrial environments, and
physical and biological processes, to provide a scientific and policy tool for
examining the consequences of various economic and human population
scenarios over the coming century. The ultimate intent is to contribute a freely-
available tool that can be used for rapid visualization by policy makers, and can
be reconstructed, deconstructed, and added to by biodiversity scientists.
0
2/0485
F
rom pattern to mechanism: evidence for Self-Organized Similarity in
community data?
Remi Vergnon
1
1
U
niversity of Wageningen, Wagenigen, Netherlands,
2
U
niversity of Sheffield,
Sheffield, UK
Abstract
T
he main challenge now faced by macroecologists is to move from the very
s
uccessful phase of collection and description of large-scale regularities in
patterns to providing a mechanistic explanation for them. Here we use data from
a
marine phytoplankton community - the L4 station data set, managed by the
Plymouth Marine Laboratory - to show how patterns such as species size
d
istributions and Species Abundance Distributions can be used to formulate and
test hypotheses in terms of species coexistence processes and community
assembly rules. We link multimodality in these patterns to a specific model of
Self-Organized Similarity explaining community structure through species
interactions and environmental constraints.
0
2/0551
D
ata dilemmas and solutions in marine macroecology
Ben Holt, Carsten Rahbek
University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
Abstract
A
dvancements in marine macroecology are challenged by the availability of large
scale datasets, and the spatial variability in sampling effort of existing sources.
D
ata based on repeated surveys are useful for estimating diversity metrics such
a
s species richness but these data are logistically expensive to collect in the
marine environment and existing datasets of this kind represent a valuable
r
esource.
T
his study utilises a large scale database of reef fish surveys to identify a
methodological framework for quantifying biodiversity from such data. By
a
nalysing simulated datasets, which are modelled according to the
characteristics of the empirical data, a number of species richness estimators
are tested for their sensitivity to sampling biases and the most suitable
methodology is identified. This framework is then utilised to reveal significant
geographical patterns of diversity within the expansive region covered by the
empirical data. This study therefore provides an analytical structure for large
scale ecological datasets that have considerable spatial heterogeneity in
sampling, and suggests important considerations for existing and future data
collection programs.
02/0592
Investigating coral reef bioenergetics using metabolic scaling theory
Tracey McDole
1
, Mark Nadon
2
, Forest Rohwer
1
1
San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA,
2
NOAA-Coral Reef Ecosystem
Division, Honolulu, HI, USA
Abstract
In this study whole organism metabolic rates were predicted for individual fish
and microbes on coral reefs throughout the Pacific. Individual metabolic rates
were summed to estimate energy use at the community-level. The dataset
included reef locations experiencing relatively high (Main Hawaiian Islands,
Guam) and low (Wake Atoll and the Marianas Archipelago) degrees of human
impact. The amount of work done by the microbial community exceeded the
metabolic requirements predicted for the fish community at all reef sites in the
MHI region and on Guam. Although the microbial communities in the MHI do
almost 4 times more work than those in the CNMI region, mass-specific
metabolic rates suggest that at the community-level both fish and microbial
compartments in the MHI require less energy per gram. This finding indicates
that the cost of existence is higher on “healthier” reefs for both fish and
microbes. This study sheds new light on energetic differences underlying system
functionality of reefs experiencing high and low levels of anthropogenic impact.
This study is also the first time metabolic scaling theory has been applied to
coral reef bioenergetics.
03/0030
Interaction of Deoxygenation and Acidification on Continental Margins:
Exposures, Diversity Response and Functional Consequences
Lisa Levin
, Christina Tanner, Todd Martz, Sunghyum Nam, Uwe Send, Mike
Navarro, John Helly
Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, CA, USA
Abstract
Climate change-induced shoaling of oxygen minima will potentially interact with
CO
2
-induced acidification of surface waters to affect shelf and slope biota of
upwelling regions. In naturally occurring, permanent oxygen minimum zones,
the co-occurrence of low dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations and low pH
provides a glimpse of how ecosystems may react to these stressors. Biotic
responses involve altered taxon composition, reduced species richness,
evenness, body size, inhibition of calcifying taxa, as well as habitat compression.
Functional consequences include altered species interactions and food webs,
loss of resilience to perturbation, reduced bioturbation, and changing carbon
sequestration patterns and players. Predicting biotic responses at shelf depths,
where there is significant hydrographic variability, requires knowledge of
organism exposures to oxygen and pH levels. In the southern California Bight
(SCB), inner shelf DO and pH vary in concert and exhibit strong depth gradients.
They fluctuate on interdecadal, interannual, seasonal and semidiurnal time
scales. Recent time series measurements document shoaling hypoxic
boundaries and day to week-long hypoxia events associated with
upwelling/relaxation cycles. Species with benthic egg capsules or calcifying
planktonic larvae may be especially vulnerable. Understanding the interplay of
natural variation, long-term hydrographic trends and ecosystem-level response
is critical for effective management of margin resources.
23
03/0296
I
mpacts of Ocean Acidification on early stages of Crustose Coralline Algae:
c
omparison of two geographic areas.
F
ulvia Bradassi
1
,
Francesco Cumani
1
,
Guido Bressan
1
,
Sam Dupont
2
1
University of Trieste, Life Sciences Dept., Trieste, Italy,
2
University of Gothenburg,
S
ven Lovén Centre for Marine Sciences, Kristineberg, Sweden
Abstract
T
he Corallinales (Rhodophyta), which play a main role as benthic calcifiers, are
predicted to be negatively impacted by near-future ocean acidification owing to
t
heir high magnesium calcite mineralization in the cell wall, a more soluble form
of carbonate than either calcite or aragonite. In the last three years, an accurate
survey was carried out on Ocean Acidification’s effect on the crustose coralline
a
lga (CCA) Lithophyllum incrustans, Philippi sampled in the gulf of Trieste (North
A
driatic, Mediterranean Sea). Early life stages (from the sporeling up to the 2nd
m
onth) were exposed to different acidification levels (Control = natural sea water
p
H=8.2; intermediate treatment pH=8.0; acidic treatment pH=7.8). Acidification
w
as obtained by CO
2
b
ubbling. A negative effect was observed on reproduction:
the increase of CO
2
concentration inhibited spore production and growth, and
caused an increase in mortality of germination disks.
A similar experiment will be conducted in May 2011 at the Sven Lovén Centre for
Marine Sciences at Kristineberg (Skagerrak). Early stages of locally sampled
CCA will be submitted to a wide range of acidification treatments with
contemporary replicas. Differences and similarities between the two geographic
regions will be discussed focussing on experimental design and eco-
geographical features of sampled species of CCA.
03/0406
T
he Effect of Seawater pH on Calcareous Algae Calcification and Productivity
Sware Semesi
1
, Mats Björk
1
, Sven Beer
1
1
U
niversity of Dar es Salaam, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, United Republic of,
2
Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden,
3
Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
Abstract
S
eawater pH is an important parameter that controls calcification and
p
hotosynthesis processes in marine systems. Impacts of different pH levels on
calcareous algae were investigated in laboratory and field experiments at
C
hwaka and Fumba Bays in Zanzibar, Tanzania. Levels of pH in the laboratory
were manipulated by adding HCl, NaOH or by bubbling seawater with extra CO
2
.
Calcareous algae Hydrolithon sp., Mesophyllum sp. and Halimeda renschii, a
s
eagrass (Thalassia hemprichii) and a mussel (Pinna muricata) were analyzed in
t
he laboratory and in the field. Laboratory studies revealed a significant increase
i
n calcification rates in Hydrolithon sp. with increases in pH, while photosynthesis
s
howed an opposite trend. Extra CO
2
d
ecreased pH and caused a (18%) decline in
c
alcification rates. In the field, seagrasses raised pH to ~9, increasing
calcification rates significantly in calcareous algae. Photosynthesis rates showed
no significant differences with changes in pH expect in Mesophyllum sp. which
increased at elevated pH in presence of seagrasses. Hence, pH is important in
shaping biological processes that determines ecological interactions especially
within shallow tidal areas by modifying seawater carbon composition and thus
i
nfluencing calcification and photosynthesis processes.
0
3/0427
T
he macrophysiology of marine organisms in a high-CO
2
w
orld: genotypes and
population-level responses.
Piero Calosi
U
niversity of Plymouth, Plymouth, UK
Abstract
Ongoing global environmental changes (including ocean acidification and
w
arming) have already been demonstrated to negatively affect marine
b
iodiversity, often by directly altering organisms’ physiological functions. The
application of a functional approach to the investigation of organisms’ possible
r
esponses to predicted future environmental scenarios has been broadly
successful and has helped us rapidly to acquire a better understanding of the
p
otential ecological consequences of global change. However, it is now
imperative we conduct relevant experimental work within an evolutionary context
if we aim to refine existing predictions on species’ abilities to adapt to ongoing
changes. Here we present the results of two separate comparative investigations
on the ecophysiological responses of different genotypes and populations of
marine species collected along latitudinal-environmental gradients, and exposed
to current and future pCO
2
and temperature levels under laboratory conditions.
Our results show that different genotypes and populations differ fundamentally
in the way they respond to exposure to elevated pCO
2
and temperature. This
understanding of current variation in physiological adaptation and how this
relates to environmental conditions (such as those associated with latitude) are
essential for making informed predictions of species responses to future
environmental change.
0
3/0539
E
ffects of high CO
2
o
n microbial and faunal diversity in the deep sea
Judith Neumann
1
, Judith Neumann
2
, Alban Ramette
1
, Matthias Haeckel
3
, Dirk de
Beer
1
, Fumio Inagaki
4
, Antje Boetius
5
1
M
ax Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany,
2
G
LOMAR MARUM,
Germany,
3
IfM GEOMAR, Kiel, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany,
4
Kochi Institute,
J
AMSTEC, Japan,
5
H
GF-MPG Joint Research Group on Deep Sea Ecology and
Technology (AWI), Bremerhaven, Germany
A
bstract
One potential strategy to mitigate the impact of increasing carbon dioxide levels
i
n the atmosphere and the ocean is industrial scale carbon capturing and storage
(CCS), for example into the deep subseafloor. This investigation looked at
p
otential effects of high CO
2
o
n deep-sea communities whose responses to
increasing CO
2
concentrations and decreasing pH remains unknown. We
investigated the CO
2
vent system Yonaguni Knoll IV hydrothermal field, located in
the basin of the Okinawa trough as a natural laboratory characterized by strong
CO
2
gradients from 0.08 mM to 65 mM and pH 7.9 - 4.7. First insights show a
total loss of echinoderm megafauna along a transect from the reference towards
the venting area, and substantial changes in macro-, meio- and microfauna
composition. With increasing CO
2
concentrations changes in macrofauna
composition occur as a loss in richness, meiofauna composition changes both on
the level of order (e.g. copepods and bivalves vs. nematodes) and genus
(nematodes). Bacterial community structure analyzed by DNA fingerprinting
methods showed a strong shift in bacterial composition caused by the
replacement of specific OTUs (Operational Taxonomic Units) and a 20% loss in
bacterial OTU diversity.
03/0540
Spatial and temporal heterogeneity of pH and the carbonate system and
implications for ocean acidification.
Jerry Blackford
1
, Yuri Artioli
1
, Momme Butenschon
1
, Emmer Litt
2
, Nick
Hardman-Mountford
1
, David Hydes
3
1
Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Plymouth, UK,
2
Bangor University, Bangor, UK,
3
National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, UK
Abstract
The majority of anthropogenic interactions with the marine system occur in shelf
seas. These are highly variable environments in both space and time; quantifying
this heterogeneity, including that of pH and the carbonate system is a challenge.
As well as the decadal scale trends associated with anthropogenic CO
2
emissions, strong annual and spatial signals exist which are driven by dynamic
biological (including benthic) processes, hydrodynamics and highly variable
riverine and other boundary conditions.
Drawing on observed and modelled data, the NW European Shelf is used as a
case study to illustrate the spatial and temporal heterogeneity of the carbonate
system and how this might evolve in the future. For example it is shown that
biological processes can seasonally reverse under-saturation (with respect to
aragonite) even in high CO
2
emission scenarios. At the other end of the scale
seawater pCO
2
is seen to vary by ~100 atm over a tidal cycle in some coastal
regions.
Finally the complexity of marine system responses to OA is discussed. These
involve several mechanisms and a variety of processes. Ecosystem evolution over
the next decades will be driven by many factors including OA, climate and the
available energy resources.
03/0552
Resilience of the sub-Antarctic sea urchin Arbacia dufresnei towards ocean
acidification
Ana I. Catarino
1
, Davorin Medakovic
2
, Chantal De Ridder
1
, Marcelo Gonzalez
3
,
Pablo Gallardo
4
, Luc André
5
, Philippe Dubois
1
1
Universite Libre de Bruxelles, Bruxelles, Belgium,
2
Ruder Boškovic Institute, Rovinj,
Croatia,
3
Instituto Antártico Chileno, Puntas Arenas, Chile,
4
Universidad de
Magallanes, Puntas Arenas, Chile,
5
Royal Museum of Central Africa, Tervuren,
Belgium
Abstract
Increased atmospheric CO
2
emissions are inducing changes in seawater carbon
chemistry, lowering its pH. This phenomenon, known as ocean acidification, is
happening at a faster rate in cold regions, i.e., polar and sub-polar waters. The
larval development of a sub-Antarctic population from the species Arbacia
dufresnei was studied at control (8.0) and lower pH (7.7 and 7.4) waters. A
significant larval development delay was only recorded at pH 7.4, with no
significant increase of abnormal forms. Larvae were isometric between pH
treatments. Adult A.dufresnei seemed to present some degree of coelomic fluid
buffer capacity and low seawater pH had no effect on the gonads and body wall
metabolic status (RNA/DNA and carbonic anhydrase activity). Furthermore,
spine regeneration was slightly affected. It is noteworthy that even at calcium
carbonate saturation states lower than 1, skeleton deposition did occur,
indicating calcification was most likely affected in an indirect way.In conclusion,
both larvae and adults of A. dufresnei appeared rather resistant to acidification,
at least at short term, reinforcing the idea of resilience of polar and sub-polar
sea urchins towards acidification and underlining their potential to invade further
Antarctic ecosystems.
24
03/0554
T
he effect of ocean acidification on the physiological and immunological
r
esponses of ecologically important benthic invertebrates.
S
amuel Rastrick
1
,
Chris Hauton
5
,
Piero Calosi
1
,
Helen Findlay
2
,
Jasmin Godbold
4
,
M
artin Solan
4
,
John Spicer
1
,
Steve Widdicombe
2
,
Nia Whiteley
3
1
U
niversity of Plymouth, Plymouth, UK,
2
P
lymouth Marine Laboratory, Plymouth, UK,
3
B
angor University, Bangor, UK,
4
U
niversity of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK,
5
U
niversity of
S
outhampton, Southampton, UK
Abstract
T
o assess the effect of future temperature increase and ocean acidification on
intertidal benthic ecosystems, the physiological and immunological responses of
three soft sediment and four hard substrate invertebrate species were
i
nvestigated under different predicted scenarios. These species were selected due
t
o their significant effects on the composition and functioning of coastal benthic
e
cosystems.
A
s the survival of these organisms is to some extent determined by physiological
a
cclimatisation and/or adaptation it is vital to understand the underlying
p
hysiological mechanisms in the face of environmental change, and their
m
etabolic limitations. To date many studies describing the impacts of global
change drivers on organismal functions have focused on single physiological
traits in isolation, investigated over relatively short-term exposures. Such studies
risk missing long-term trade-offs between different physiological processes that
may affect energy budgets and have an impact on performance and fitness.
T
herefore the present study includes the investigation of a relatively large number
of physiological and immunological parameters simultaneously over 18 month
e
xposures to elevated
C
O
2
a
nd temperature conditions. These processes will be
discussed in terms of their effect on organism health, growth, and reproduction.
03/0684
P
lacing ocean acidification impacts in the relevant ecological context: an
a
pproach to in-situ responses of multi-species ecosystems.
J
. Timothy Wootton
,
Catherine A. Pfister
The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
Abstract
A
key challenge for ecologists is to place the impacts of ocean acidification in a
p
redictive framework relevant to real ecosystems containing multiple species.
Work on other problems shows that studies of 1-2 species under laboratory
c
onditions frequently do not translate well to ecosystems in nature with complex
networks of interacting species. We suggest one approach to this problem by
documenting species replacement rates, by probing how they change as
f
unctions of variation through time in key environmental parameters, such as pH
o
r temperature, and by using experimentally validated Markov chain models to
p
roject long-term system response. We illustrate this approach using data on
l
ong-term dynamics of species and rapid declines in ocean pH in the rocky
i
ntertidal zone of Tatoosh Island, Washington, USA. These results suggest likely
shifts in dominance of the community from large calcifying animals to fleshy
algae as pH declines. Furthermore the results both in unmanipulated areas and
in plots where the dominant mussel was experimentally excluded illustrate that
networks of interacting species change the impacts of declining pH because
indirect effects can override direct effects of an environmental stressor. These
r
esults highlight the need for direct study of ecosystem response to declining
o
cean pH.
0
3/0714
D
ifferential response of sediment ammonia oxidising communities to
increased pCO
2
Karen Tait, Bonnie Laverock, Vassilis Kitidis, Steve Widdicombe
P
lymouth Marine Laboratory, Plymouth, UK
Abstract
Ocean acidification has been shown to influence sediment/water nutrient fluxes,
p
ossibly by impacting on the microbial process of nitrification and anammox. To
d
irectly investigate the effect of increased pCO
2
o
n these processes, DNA and
RNA were extracted from the surface sediment of several CO
2
-acidified
m
esocosm experiments including Arctic sediments and both muddy and coarse
sand sediments from the Western English Channel (WEC). The abundance and
e
xpression of bacterial (AOB) and archaeal (AOA) ammonia oxidising (amoA) and
anammox-specific 16S rRNA genes were quantified using qPCR and RT-qPCR. In
each case, the ammonia oxidising microbes responded differently to increased
pCO
2
. While vey little changed within the muddy WEC sediment, within the coarse
sand WEC sediment, an increase in pCO
2
caused an increase in anammox-
specific 16S rRNA transcripts, but no changes to amoA transcripts. In contrast,
lowering the pH of the arctic sediment increased AOA and anammox activity and
decreased AOB transcriptional activity. This was accompanied by a shift in
diversity as the population tried to adapt to the changing pCO
2
concentrations.
These observations suggest that the impact of OA on N cycling will depend on
sediment type, possibly due to the buffering capacity of the different sediment
types or differing microbial community.
0
3/0740
A
n ocean acidification affect population dynamics of the barnacle Semibalanus
balanoides at its southern range edge?
Helen Findlay
1
, Michael Burrows
2
, Michael Kendall
1
, John Spicer
3
, Steve
W
iddicombe
1
1
Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Plymouth, UK,
2
Scottish Association for Marine
S
cience, Oban, UK,
3
U
niversity of Plymouth, Plymouth, UK
Abstract
T
he relative impacts of ocean acidification on population dynamics have yet to be
investigated, despite many studies indicating that there will be at least a
s
ublethal impact on many marine organisms, particularly calcifying organisms.
Using empirical data, we forced a barnacle population model to investigate the
r
elative influence of sea surface temperature (SST) and ocean acidification on a
population nearing the southern limit of its geographic distribution. Hindcast
models were compared to observational data from Cellar Beach, UK. Results
indicate that a declining pH trend (0.0017 unit yr
-
1
), indicative of ocean
acidification over the past 50 years, does not cause an observable impact on the
population abundance relative to changes caused by fluctuations in temperature.
Below a critical temperature (here T
crit
= 13.18 °C), pH has a more significant
affect on population dynamics; however, above this value, SST has the overriding
influence. At lower SST, a decrease in pH
NBS
from 8.2 to 7.8 can significantly
decrease the population abundance. Furthermore, forecast predictions from this
model suggest that combined acidification and warming cause this local
population to die out 10 years earlier than would occur if there was only global
warming and no concomitant decrease in pH.
03/0758
The potential impacts of ocean acidification on fisheries and higher trophic
level ecology: scaling from physiology to ecology.
John Pinnegar
, Will Le Quesne
Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas), Lowestoft,
Suffolk, UK
Abstract
Recent recognition that anthropogenic releases of CO
2
are altering the carbonate
chemistry of the oceans has lead to concerns that ocean acidification could have
significant negative impacts on fisheries. To date, views expressed on the
potential impact of acidification range from wholesale degradation of marine
ecosystems through to no discernable impact with minimal consequences.
Constraining this range of predictions is necessary to support development of
informed policy and management. The direct biological impacts of acidification
occur at the molecular and cellular level; however it is the expression of these
effects at the population and ecosystem level that is of societal concern. Thus,
examining the potential effects of acidification on fisheries requires scaling from
physiology to ecology. Here we consider the potential impact of acidification on
fisheries with particular emphasis on approaches to scaling from physiological
responses to population level processes and implications for higher tropic level
ecology. Answering the question of how acidification may impact fisheries and
other marine ecosystem goods and services requires the integration of workers
and knowledge across disciplines; this contribution aims to facilitate the
inclusion of higher trophic level ecology into this ongoing discussion.
03/0824
Long-term effects of ocean acidification and warming on the burrowing
activities of infaunal invertebrates
Jasmin Godbold
, Martin Solan
Oceanlab, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
Abstract
Increasing evidence has suggested that enhanced sea surface temperatures and
atmospheric CO
2
concentrations are affecting ocean chemistry, which is altering
species distributions, local population dynamics and biodiversity in many marine
ecosystems. However, the ability of marine infaunal invertebrates to maintain
levels of ecosystem functioning under future climate conditions is largely
unknown.
Here we present initial results from a long-term (18 month) experiment in which
three ecologically important infaunal invertebrates (Amphiura filiformis, Nereis
virens, Cerastoderma edule) are exposed to different levels of atmospheric CO
2
concentrations (380, 750, 1000 ppm) and two temperatures (ambient and
ambient +4 °C), representing present day and future climate predictions. We
show how estimates of bioturbation and bioirrigation of the fauna change after 6
months of exposure to future climate conditions and show that the faunal
mediation of several key ecosystem functions depends upon the length of time
individual species are exposed to different environmental conditions. Our
findings suggest that current estimates of the level of ecosystem functioning
attained under biodiversity-environment futures may not necessarily represent
the levels achieved in communities adapted and/or habituated to new climatic
conditions.
25
03/0852
E
ffects of predicted near-future levels of ocean acidification on the early larval
d
evelopment of the European flat oyster Ostrea edulis
L
isa Kamphausen
,
Antony Jensen, Debora Iglesias-Rodriguez, Lawrence
H
awkins
N
ational Oceanography Centre, Southampton, University of Southampton,
S
outhampton, UK
Abstract
The development of larvae of the commercially fished oyster Ostrea edulis from
t
he Solent, UK, was examined under present day and predicted near-future
levels of ocean acidification. Triplicate experiments consisted of seawater
continuously bubbled with air containing 385ppm CO
2
(control) and 1500ppm CO
2
(
upper prediction for 2100). Larvae were cultivated for 7 days from 16 cell stage
o
nwards, just past the development of the prodissoconch II shell. Survival,
g
rowth, empty shell dissolution and topical shell morphology were compared
b
etween the two groups. Results showed similar variation between and within
t
reatments, suggesting that larvae of European flat oysters, which often occur in
intertidal and estuarine environments, are able to compensate for altered sea
water carbon chemistry. Mollusc larvae are often considered particularly
sensitive to ocean acidification, but our results suggest that this may not be a
pivotal factor in controlling the future survival of O. edulis populations. Fishery
restoration efforts do not necessarily require to be curtailed on the basis of a
p
redicted inability of O. edulis larvae to survive under near-future levels of ocean
a
cidification.
03/0872
M
olecular analysis of biomineralisation in the coralline algae, Lithothamnion
g
laciale under high-CO
2
c
onditions
P
enelope Donohue
1
,
Heidi Burdett
1
,
Elena Aloisio
2
,
Piero Calosi
2
,
Helen Findlay
3
,
S
teve Widdicombe
3
,
Nicolas Kamenos
1
1
U
niversity of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK,
2
U
niversity of Plymouth, Plymouth, UK,
3
P
lymouth Marine Laboratory, Plymouth, UK
Abstract
All living organisms respond to environmental changes through changes in the
e
xpression of multiple genes and proteins. Ongoing environmental changes, in
particular decreasing ocean pH (ocean acidification or OA, as a result of
increasing seawater pCO
2
), represent additional environmental stimuli which
m
ay induce expression changes in marine organisms. Maerl (red coralline algae
o
r rhodoliths), Lithothamnion glaciale, are a marine biogenic calcite which is
l
ikely to be structurally very sensitive to increasing seawater pCO
2
.
Significantly,
m
aerl performs a crucial role in maintaining marine biodiversity, ecosystem
p
rovision and impacts on the climate system including cloud nucleation and
ozone stability. Therefore any OA induced changes at the molecular level, in
particular expression changes related to the biomineralisation, may have an
unprecedented impact on marine ecosystems and biodiversity. Here we
examined the maerl proteome under control conditions (seawater pH 8.0, T =
12
o
C, Salinity 35) and analysed quantitative expression changes of distinct
p
roteins known to be involved in biomineralisation, in response to acidified
c
onditions (seawater pH 7.7). This study presents evidence of how OA may affect
this calcifying marine organism based on molecular level analysis and highlights
the benefits of using this systems based approach to investigate the effects of OA
in marine systems.
0
3/0877
I
mpacts of ocean acidification on gene expression and biomineralisation in the
Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas Thunberg, 1793
Frauke Bagusche
1
, Chris Hauton
1
, Clive Trueman
1
, Stephane Pouvreau
2
1
N
ational Oceanography Centre, Southampton,UK,
2
D
épt. de Physiologie
Fonctionnelle des Organismes Marins, Institut français de recherche pour
l
’exploitation de la mer (IFREMER), Station d’Argenton, France
Abstract
T
he potential impacts of ocean acidification on marine calcifiers has emphasized
the need to understand the molecular mechanisms of biomineralisation.
C
rassostrea gigas is an ideal organism to examine these processes as: 1) the
hatchery rearing of larval stages is well constrained, 2) studies have established
a
n ontogenetic switch in deposition of carbonate polymorphs from aragonite in
larval shells to calcite in adults and 3) it is a globally-important commercial
species.
Studies have identified some of the molecular mechanisms involved in
calcification processes during ontogeny of Crassostrea gigas, as well as possible
impacts of changes in environmental conditions such as temperature and pH.
Additionally this study will identify how changes of gene expression correlate with
the expression of different biomineral microstructures in the developing shell.
Using two different techniques, degenerate PCR and GeneFishing
T
M
, in
combination with an in silico search of available EST databases; a list of potential
target genes has been developed. Quantitative real-time PCR has identified
changes in gene expression during development in different environments.
Scanning electron microscopy and infrared spectroscopy has also been employed
to analyse shell microstructures and composition and to correlate changes in gene
expression with end-point differences in shell structure.
0
3/0988
A
ffects of long term exposure to ocean acidification on benthic foraminiferal
populations
Nikki Khanna
1
, Jasmin Godbold
3
, David Paterson
1
, William E. N. Austin
2
1
S
chool of Biology, The University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK,
2
S
chool of
Geography & Geosciences, The University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK,
3
Oceanlab,
A
berdeen, UK
Abstract
E
levated concentrations of atmospheric carbon dioxide, partly driven by
anthropogenic sources are driving down the pH of the surface oceans. Ocean pH
h
as reduced by 0.1 units since the industrial period and this change is predicted
to continue into the future. The change in seawater carbonate chemistry will
h
ave severe implications on marine organisms that construct carbonate shells
and structures, with a predicted reduction in calcifying capacity. It is uncertain if
these organisms (coral, molluscs, protozoa etc) will have the ability to
acclimatise or adapt to the predicted changes.
This presentation is based on material collected from a long term ocean
acidification experiment running at Oceanlab, Aberdeen. Using CO
2
bubbling via
a CO
2
mixing system, this experiment has maintained three seawater CO
2
treatments of 380, 750 and 1000 ppm. Monthly surface sediment samples were
taken from each CO
2
treatment at two temperatures of 10°C constant and
ambient. The surface sediment samples were processed using standard
micropalaeontological techniques in order to investigate the response of benthic
intertidal foraminifera to ocean acidification. Details of the experimental system
are presented together with observations on foraminiferal assemblages, growth
and survival rates.
03/1130
Ocean acidification decreases performance of the key predator Asterias rubens
in the Baltic sea
Sebastian Tobias Opitz
IFM-GEOMAR, Kiel, Germany
Abstract
Near-future ocean acidification has been shown to decrease performance of
various –especially calcifying – species. Naturally high-pCO
2
environments such
as Kiel Fjord (Germany) help to estimate possible effects of OA. We propose that
the low-biodiversity ecosystem of the western Baltic may be liable to structural
changes due to decreased performance of the key predator Asterias rubens
(Echinodermata). Possible adaption to the present-day high pCO
2
conditions
(average 1026 µatm in Kiel Fjord) has only been found for adult animals, which
may yet be threatened by future peak-acidification events during upwelling
processes. Despite chances for adaptation over several generations, juveniles
already proved to be subject to decreased growth, feeding rates and changing
metabolic and nutritional parameters at today’s acidification state. At 3000+
µatm, development failed among 1/3 of the juveniles und deceased growth
significantly among adults, suggesting future development may be hampered if
other environmental stressors add to a synergistic effect. We found that –
contrary to expectations – OA might only be effecting calcification of A. rubens on
a subtle, structural level. Hence, we demonstrate that the observed decreased
growth is – at least partially – caused by changing patterns of energy investment
as a compensatory response to OA.
03/1173
Developing a biological framework to assess functional responses to ocean
acidification.
Julie Bremner
, Silvana Birchenough, Ruth Parker, Clare Coughlan, Finlay Scott
Cefas, Lowestoft, Suffolk, UK
Abstract
Recent experimental evidence has identified significant variability in the pH
sensitivity of benthic species, suggesting ocean acidification may affect
physiological processes on different levels. However, we lack information on how
these variable responses will affect benthic communities as a whole.
Here, we attempt to resolve this by translating the knowledge gained from
individual studies into a community-level context, assessing multi-species
responses and their consequences for benthic functioning. We search for
commonalities in response of species’ traits to acidification, bringing these
commonalities together into a conceptual framework generating qualitative
predictions of whole-community sensitivity to acidification. Assessment of the
functional traits of sensitive communities then allows predictions of the potential
consequences of acidification for benthic ecosystem function.
We describe the application of this framework to the identification of possible
acidification ‘hotspots’ in the North Sea benthos. We use the ICES 1986 North
Sea benthos dataset for this purpose, since the large spatial coverage provides a
robust view of the benthic communities inhabiting the North Sea. Application of
the framework to the data results in the generation of a gridded map showing
areas of the greatest concentration of sensitive community components
(‘hotspots’), along with spatial predictions of functional effects of the loss of
these components.
26
04/0039
R
eef Landscape Mapping by Remote Sensing in the Veracruz Reef System,
M
éxico.
M
arisol Levitt Landa
1
,
Juan Manuel Vargas Hernandez
2
1
UNIVERSIDAD VERACRUZANA, XALAPA, VERACRUZ, Mexico,
2
INSTITUTO DE
C
IENCIAS MARINAS Y PESQUERÍAS, BOCA DEL RÍO, VERACRUZ, Mexico
Abstract
G
eographic information systems (GIS’s) actually are a tool for monitoring and
assessment of coral reefs using remote sensing. This uses sensors to obtain
i
nformation of the earth’s surface in satellite images. In order to characterize
ecologically and get thematic maps of Veracruz Reef System were carried out to
the reef departures, the data obtained were used in satellite image Landsat 7
u
sing the algorithm of IDRISI Andes MINDIST. The result was a supervised
c
lassification of 6 classes which are representative of the following landscapes:
e
dge reef (216.9 ha.) slope (512.1 ha.) corals (1017.1 ha.) Thalassia-algal mat
(
725.4 ha.), coral-rock gravel (964.0 ha.) and deep zone (139875.8 ha.). To
e
valuate the accuracy of supervised classification with the real landscapes, a
matrix of error was estimated by obtaining a total value of 0.15, finally Kappa
index was estimated and statistically determines that the classification accuracy
is 81%, which suggesting that the classification is reliable. Due to the low
resolution of the Landsat 7 (30 m. per pixel) is recommended to apply this same
technique with other higher resolution images for a more detailed classification.
04/0096
C
oral-Associated Invertebrates: Diversity, Ecological Importance and
V
ulnerability to Disturbance
J
essica Stella
1
,
Morgan Pratchett
2
,
Pat Hutchings
4
,
Geoffrey Jones
1
1
James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia,
2
ARC Centre of Excellence for
C
oral Reef Studies, Townsville, QLD, Australia,
3
C
SIRO Marine and Atmospheric
R
esearch, Hobart, Tas, Australia,
4
A
ustralian Museum, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Abstract
The biodiversity of coral reefs is dominated by invertebrates. Many of these
i
nvertebrates live in close association with scleractinian corals, relying upon
corals for food, habitat and/or settlement cues. Given their strong dependence
on corals, it is of great concern that our knowledge of coral-associated
i
nvertebrates is so limited, especially in light of severe and ongoing degradation
o
f coral reef habitats and the potential for species extinctions. There are at least
8
60 invertebrate species that have been described as coral-associated, of which
a
t least half appear to have an obligate dependence on live corals. Many exhibit a
h
igh degree of preference for one or two coral species, with species in the
genera Pocillopora, Acropora and Stylophora commonly preferred. This level of
habitat specialisation may place coral-associated invertebrates at a great risk of
extinction, particularly because preferred coral genera are those most
susceptible to coral bleaching and mortality. Many corals are reliant upon the
ecological services of particular invertebrates, leading to strong feedbacks
b
etween abundance of corals and their associated invertebrates. The loss of even
a
few preferred coral taxa could lead to a substantial decline in invertebrate
biodiversity and have far-reaching effects on coral reef ecosystem function.
0
4/0128
C
oral-feeding fishes as a chronic stressor on coral communities
Andrew Cole
, Morgan Pratchett
James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia
Abstract
I
nteractions between predators and prey organisms are of fundamental
importance to ecological communities. While the impacts that grazing predators
c
an have in terrestrial and temperate marine systems are well established, the
i
mportance of coral grazers on tropical reefs has rarely been considered. Many
species of butterflyfish feed continuously upon reef-building corals, mainly
A
cropora and Pocillopora species; two coral general highly susceptible to climate
induced coral bleaching events. In this study we estimate the biomass of coral
t
issue consumed by four prominant species of corallivorous butterflyfish. Sub-
adult butterflyfish remove between 0.6 and 0,9g of live tissue per day, while
larger adults remove between 1.5 and 3g of coral tissue each day. This constant
removal of coral tissue by fishes represents a net drain on a coral colony’s
energy reserves, with the energy used in regeneration of lost tissue not available
for growth and reproduction. While corallivory is not expected to be the primary
cause of colony death, it may be a significant contributing factor in coral
mortality when prey corals are exposed to increasing levels of anthropogenic
stresses such as climate induced coral bleaching events.
0
4/0151
C
omparative growth and demography of two temperate/subtropical
scleractinians suggests different sensitivity to rising seawater temperature in
t
he Mediterranean Sea
E
rik Caroselli
1
,
Oren Levy
2
,
Francesco Zaccanti
1
,
Giuseppe Falini
1
,
Zvy Dubinsky
2
,
Stefano Goffredo
1
1
A
lma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy,
2
B
ar Ilan University,
Ramat Gan, Israel
A
bstract
The latest IPCC report projects an increase of 1.1-6.4 °C in global average
t
emperatures during this century, and an even higher increase for temperate
regions. Growth and demographic characteristics of the solitary scleractinian
c
orals Balanophyllia europaea (zooxanthellate) and Leptopsammia pruvoti
(azooxanthellate) were determined in six populations arranged on a wide
latitudinal gradient (850 km) along Italian coasts, and compared with the mean
annual sea surface temperature (SST). Polyp age was determined by counting
growth bands on computerized tomography scans, and size/age relationships
were obtained for each population. While in B. europaea the growth and
calcification rates decreased with increasing SST, in L. pruvoti growth
characteristics were homogeneous across sites. Based on the growth curves, the
observed and theoretical age structures and several demographic parameters
were obtained for each population. In B. europaea, with increasing temperature,
populations were less abundant, less stable and showed a progressive deficiency
of young individuals. In L. pruvoti, instead, none of the demographic parameters
correlated with SST. This could reflect a higher tolerance of L. pruvoti to the
expected increase in seawater temperature over this century, while there is
concern for B. europaea, which seems more sensitive and is likely to be affected
by global warming.
04/0276
Mesophotic coral forests of the Italian seas
Marzia Bo
1
, Simonepietro Canese
2
, Michela Giusti
2
, Costanza Spaggiari
1
, Michela
Angiolillo
2
, Eva Salvati
2
, Silvestro Greco
2
, Giorgio Bavestrello
1
1
DiSMar, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy,
2
ISPRA, ex-ICRAM,
Roma, Italy
Abstract
Coral forests represent important three-dimensional bioherms, characterized by
few dominant coral species and by an incredible variety of symbiotic
associations. In the Mediterranean Sea, these ecosystems are well known for
shallow coastal areas but very few data are available for the mesophotic zone,
extending between 50 and 200 m depth. This depth range hosts unique biological
assemblages, comprehending both shallow and deep water species, thriving
outside their typical bathymetric ranges, and twilight organisms specifically
adapted to live in dim light conditions.
This contribution represents the summary of a pluriannual work dedicated to the
ROV exploration of the mesophotic communities along the Italian coasts
(Calabria, Sicily, Tuscany and Campania). Several peculiar coral assemblages
were described, such as a meadow of the black coral Antipathella subpinnata, the
population of Errina aspera of the Strait of Messina, the gorgonian and
antipatharian forests of the Calabrian coasts, and two sponge-coral seamount
assemblages. The geographic and bathymetric distribution of common and rare
species was depicted, highlighting the environmental and biological constraints
driving the deep colonization of hard bottoms on a large scale. Ultimately,
alongside the discovery of Mediterranean deep treasures, were reported also the
major sources of impact, represented by human wastes and fishing damages.
04/0344
Macro-ecological regularities in structure of reef fish communities across the
Pacific Ocean basin: analysis of Reef Life Survey community monitoring data
Graham Edgar
, Rick Stuart-Smith
University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
Abstract
We describe relationships between species richness, size-structure, trophically-
partitioned biomass and environmental covariates evident in underwater visual
census data collected through the Reef Life Survey program (RLS;
www.reeflifesurvey.com). Data were collected from 16 countries distributed
across the Pacific Ocean basin through support from a small network of skilled
recreational divers trained to scientifically and cost-effectively survey
abundances and sizes of fish and invertebrate species. These data encompass
latitudinal and longitudinal ranges of 105o and 199o, respectively. Because of
lower costs, RLS data allow ecological analyses based on consistent transect
methodology to be undertaken at larger geographic and temporal scales than
possible for scientific dive teams. Through the longer term, RLS data are
expected to play a key role in development of adaptive management strategies
for marine conservation, including identification and tracking of drivers affecting
inshore biodiversity.
27
04/0524
E
lucidating the food structure of zooplankton communities in a coral reef
e
cosystem by stable isotope and fatty acid analyses
N
obuyuki Nakatomi
1
,
Ryota Nakajima
1
,
Teruaki Yoshida
3
,
Kazuhiko Sonoda
1
,
Abd
W
ahid Mohd Effendy
2
,
Bin Haji Ross Othman
3
,
Shuichi Yamamoto
1
,
Tatsuki Toda
1
1
S
oka University, Japan,
2
U
niversiti Malaysia Terengganu, Malaysia,
3
U
niversiti
K
ebangsaan Malaysia, Malaysia
Abstract
The food webs in coral reef ecosystems have long been a black box in which
s
econdary and fish productions are sustained to be high, despite the low primary
production in oligotrophic environments. To uncover such a black box, it is
essential to understand the carbon sources and trophic structures of
z
ooplankton communities that serve as energy and material transporters. We
i
nvestigated carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes of sorted zooplankton groups
a
nd possible carbon sources to clarify the complex food webs. Zooplankton, coral
m
ucus, suspended sediment and seawater samples were collected at Bidong
I
sland, Malaysia in August 2009, and June and September 2010. Zooplanktons
were taxonomically sorted as much as possible and copepods were classified
into genus-levels. We also measured their abundance, biomass and fatty acids.
As a result, the isotopes of zooplankton taxonomical groups were statistically
categorized into two clusters: one indicating relatively lower d
1
3
C values (ca.-
23.0‰) and another with the higher values close to coral mucus (ca. -14.8‰).
O
ur results suggest that although most zooplankton groups are placed in the
f
ood chain based on lower d
1
3
C
, the contribution of coral mucus with higher d
1
3
C
becomes considerable as the trophic level increases among the zooplankton
communities in the ecosystem.
04/0571
T
heme : Coral biodiversity Challenges facing the unique coral systems of
O
verseas Territories
S
amia Sarkis
Joint nature conservation committee, Peterborough, UK
Abstract
T
he UK has 14 overseas territories which are distributed across the world; the
C
aribbean, the Indian Ocean and the South Atlantic. They possess some of the
most unique and globally important corals including the Great Chagos Bank, the
l
argest coral atoll in the world which has been likened, in terms of biodiversity as
the new Galapagos and Australian barrier reef.
A
lthough some of these coral reef systems are well documented e.g. those in
the Cayman and Turks and Caicos (one of the longest coral atolls) some are not
well documented e.g. Anguilla, Montserrat and (the solitary corals of)
Ascension. They are under increasing pressure from both human and biological
t
hreats e.g. ocean acidification, human activities, overfishing and the lack of
e
nforcement of protection measures.
This paper will outline the unique coral systems of the Overseas Territories and
the common (and separate) challenges they face the impacts on the coral as a
biological resource. A forward look including potential solutions will be
highlighted.
0
4/0615
S
oft Coral Diversity and Distribution Pattern in Palk Bay and Gulf of Mannar,
India
Krishna Pillai Padmakumar
C
entre for Marine Biodiversity, University of Kerala, Kariavattom,
Thiruvananthapuram 695581, India
Abstract
T
he octocoral fauna of Palk Bay and Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve was
e
stimated through several comprehensive field trips (2007 to 2010) to various
sites. The soft corals diversity comprises of 5 genera (Carijoa, Xenia,
L
obophytum, Sarcophyton,and Sinularia) and 24 species. Sinularia is the most
dominant genera among the soft corals. Gulf of Mannar (24) encomposes the
h
ighest soft coral diversity followed by Palk Bay (20). With regard to the percent
occurrence, 3 major genera had the highest occurrence, i.e., Sinularia (56.67%),
Lobophytum (26.67%), and Sarcophyton (16.67%). Local variation in the
morphological and anatomical character is observed in many species. It is
observed that different genera of soft corals show habitat preferences in term of
location, especially near shore main land or islands, reef flat or reef slope.
0
4/0654
S
ymbiont diversity in coral larvae
Saki Harii
1
, Eugenia Sampayo
2
, Makiko Yorifuji
3
, Frederic Sinniger
4
, Michio
Hidaka
5
1
U
niversity of the Ryukyus, Japan,
2
N
etherlands Centre for Biodiversity Naturalis,
Netherlands,
3
University of Tokyo, Japan,
4
Bangor University, Bangor, UK,
5
University
o
f the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan.
Abstract
T
he establishment of symbiosis in early developmental stages is important for
reef-building corals to ensure photosynthetically derived nutrition. Some coral
e
ggs or larvae receive symbiotic dinoflagellates (Symbiodinium spp.) directly from
their parents, others acquire them from the environment. Coral symbionts of the
g
enus Symbiodinium are highly diverse and various lineages have been described
recently. However, little is known on the diversity of Symbiodinium acquired
during early life stages. Symbiont acquisition from the environment is generally
seen to occur after settlement and metamorphosis into the polyp stage, although
there may be a potential for symbiont uptake during the planktonic stage. In the
present study, we examined whether aposymbiotic coral larvae acquired
Symbiodinium in natural conditions and the diversity of the symbionts. After
confirmation of successful Symbiodinium acquisition, diversity of Symbiodinium
taken up by the larvae was identified using fingerprinting techniques (ITS2-
DGGE). Multiple Symbiodinium subtypes were detected, including the same type
as adult colonies (C3). The results from this study therefore indicate that coral
larvae have the potential to acquire a wide diversity of symbionts during the
planktonic phase. This acquisition during the planktonic stage is likely to
increase survivorship by providing coral larvae with a continued source of energy
available pre-settlement.
04/0657
Using Autonomous Reef Monitoring Structures to assess patterns of
brachyuran diversity across the Hawaiian Archipelago
Molly Timmers
1
, Scott Godwin
2
, Kerry Grimshaw
1
, Max Sudnovsky
1
, Russell
Brainard
3
1
RCUH Joint Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research, USA,
2
NOAA
Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument,USA,
3
NOAA Pacific Islands
Fisheries Science Center, USA
Abstract
Methods to assess and monitor the biodiversity of coral reefs are hampered by
limited resources, severe shortages of trained taxonomists, and subjectivity and
biases of methods and observers. These challenges are particularly problematic
for small and cryptic invertebrate taxa possessing the greatest diversity.
Autonomous Reef Monitoring Structures (ARMS) were developed to establish a
standardized sampling method to assess the diversity of lesser known taxa on
coral reefs worldwide. By mimicking the structural complexity of coral reefs,
ARMS attract colonizing organisms and provide a habitat, in particular, for
cryptic invertebrates. In 2008, 109 ARMS were deployed in shallow (12-15 m)
forereef and lagoon habitats across the Hawaiian Archipelago. In 2010, 65 ARMS
were recovered (34 in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI) and 31 in the
main Hawaiian Islands (MHI)). Brachyuran crabs measuring greater than 2 mm
were initially separated into family, identified to the lowest taxonomic rank
possible, and photographed. Diversity metrics were used to examine richness,
evenness, and distinctness. Differences in brachyuran community structure
were examined among habitats, island and atoll systems, and a human-impact
gradient (the remote NWHI vs. the inhabited MHI). Results suggest that ARMS
are an effective method to assess and monitor understudied coral reef
invertebrate biodiversity.
04/0660
Invertebrate megafaunal diversity of upper-bathyal cold-water coral
assemblages from two locations in the Azores (NE Atlantic)
Andreia Braga Henriques, José Nuno Pereira, Fernando Tempera, Filipe
Porteiro, Telmo Morato, Chris Pham, Ricardo Serrão Santos
University of the Azores, Horta, Portugal
Abstract
Non-chemosynthetic deep-sea benthic habitats of the Azores were until recently
amongst the least visually surveyed marine regions of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.
Several on-going projects focusing on this region are changing this picture
providing new insights of the biodiversity and complexity of these habitats. In this
study, cold-water coral communities from Condor Seamount (180-1100 m) and
from the southern slope of Faial-Pico channel (100-450 m) were investigated
using video transects collected by two remotely-operated vehicles and one
manned submersible. Over 20 coral taxa were recorded on Condor and four
distinct biotopes were recognized. Octocorals were the dominating coral fauna,
with scleractinians being poorly represented. No live or dead massive coral
colonies were observed, although coral rubble areas were recorded. Some areas
on the southern slope of the Faial-Pico channel between 100-210 m showed high
abundance of large plumularid hydroids. At deeper strata, two sites exhibited
coral gardens hosting alcyonaceans, antipatharians and stylasterids, as well as
sponge aggregations. In both locations, the number of invertebrate megafaunal
taxa was higher in areas where corals were present compared to areas without
corals. Our findings reinforce the view that coral communities have a prominent
role in sustaining high levels of biodiversity in those habitats.
28
04/0754
E
cological and biogeographical implications of Siderastrea symbiotic relation
w
ith Symbiodinium sp. C46 in Sal Island (Cabo Verde, East Atlantic Ocean)
M
onteiro, JG
1,2
,
Stefanni, S
1
,
et al.
1 Universidade dos Açores & Centro do IMAR da Universidade dos Açores, Portugal
2
Mueller Laboratory, Pennsylvania State University, USA Et al.
Abstract
T
he relative abundance of the genus Siderastrea and its’ relation to temperature
and irradiance, was assessed around Sal Island (Cabo Verde). In some of the
s
urveyed sites these corals accounted for 80-90% of the living cover, making it a
biotope dominant organism. Unlike Siderastrea corals from West Atlantic and
Caribbean locations, genetic analyses of the dinoflagellate symbiotic partner
r
evealed high specificity between Siderastrea sp. in Cabo Verde and the
S
ymbiodinium type C46. Biotope restriction of the ecological success of
S
iderastrea in Cabo Verde may be explained in part by this host-symbiont
p
artnership, locally resulting in a small optimum ecological niche. Distinctively,
W
est Atlantic and Caribbean Siderastrea genus associates with a much broader
range of Symbiodinium diversity, suggesting that these symbioses exhibit
flexibility under differing environmental conditions and the coral hosts to be able
to occupy a wider range of ecological niches. SST and Aerosol Mass
Concentration data reveal differences on environmental conditions throughout
the Atlantic that may be partially responsible for such adaptive responses.
A
dditional genetic analyses on Clade C Symbiodinium associated with Siderastrea
w
ere conducted with the hyper-variable plastid psbA minicircle to resolve
phylogeographic patterns that indicate the relative connectivity and/or isolation
of these symbionts throughout the tropical Atlantic.
04/0902
H
ow many species live on coral reefs?
Julian Caley
1
, Russell Brainard
2
, Rebecca Fisher
1
, Nancy Knowlton
3
, Samantha
L
ow Choy
4
,
Kerrie Mengersen
4
,
Rebecca O’Leary
1
,
Laetitia Plaisance
3
1
Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Queensland, Australia,
2
NOAA,
H
onolulu, Hawaii, USA,
3
S
mithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA,
4
Q
ueensland
U
niversity of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Abstract
Coral reefs are iconic, high-diversity, ecosystems that currently face an
u
nprecedented set of hazards threatening their long-term existence. While
widely recognized for being highly diverse, coral reef diversity is still very poorly
known. Much of it is yet to be discovered, and there is more than an order of
m
agnitude uncertainly around the total number of multi-cellular species they
h
ost. As part of the Census of Marine Life, and using a combination of direct
s
ampling of reef biodiversity and expert elicitation, the CReefs Project has
p
rovided new estimates of the number of species on coral reefs. Using
s
tandardized sampling methods in seven geographic regions, the diversity of
select taxa in a very small total area of reef far exceeded the diversity of other
ecosystems. In contrast, however, expert elicitation of species richness on coral
reefs across the Tree-of-Life resulted in a global estimate of total species
richness toward the low end of previous estimates, and the first explicit estimate
of the uncertainty around this estimate.
0
4/0934
M
odel Organisms: Reconstructing Coral Reef Biodiversity and Hotspot
Paradigms
James Darwin Thomas
N
ational Coral Reef Inst., Dania, Florida, USA
Abstract
There is growing consensus that coral reefs are globally threatened and decades
o
f studies and efforts to protect and manage reefs have largely failed to slow
d
eclines in abundance, diversity, and habitat structure despite large scale efforts
such as the Census for Marine Life and DNA Barcoding studies. Phylogenetically
i
nformed taxonomies, once a mainstay have faded from the forefront of coral reef
conservation and marine resource management efforts. Two aspects of coral
r
eef diversity, regional endemism and composite lineage based diversity, can be
inferred by the use of model organisms, especially small cryptic species which
potentially harbor greater informative value in this regard than commonly used
coral reef surrogates such as corals, fishes, and mollusks with broader
geographic ranges. Using model organisms whose taxonomic information
maximizes phylogenetic inference can lead to different conservation decisions
than the traditional approach of maximizing species richness. Salient
characteristics of high value model organisms include modern monographic
familial treatments, representative distributional data, and testable
biogeography hypotheses. Examples using cryptic commensal amphipod
crustaceans will be discussed. Contrary to current trends it is suggested that
model organism approaches be a precursor to deploy more technically intensive
molecular approaches to assess diversity in coral reef ecosystems.
0
4/1006
S
pecies richness patterns of selected scleractinian coral families on the reefs
of Semporna, Malaysia, an area of high marine biodiversity
Zarinah Waheed
, Bert Hoeksema
N
etherlands Centre for Biodiversity Naturalis, Leiden, Netherlands
Abstract
The highest concentration of reefs within Malaysia is found in Semporna, eastern
S
abah, within the Coral Triangle. Its high concentration of reefs are represented
b
y five major geomorphological reef types, which include a proto-atoll, an
offshore seamount, fringing reefs, patch reefs, and a barrier reef formation.
S
urveys were carried out in this area to compare the biodiversity gradient of the
hard coral families Fungiidae, Agariciidae and Euphyllidae from coastal to
o
ffshore reefs. These families were chosen as representatives for all reef coral
species as they have a wide geographical distribution and are found in various
reef habitats. Based on the preliminary results, a total of 43 Fungiidae, 31
Agariciidae and 15 Euphyllidae have been recorded. Comparison with previous
studies show that there is an increase in species count and that some species
are new records for Sabah, where some species are possibly endemic to this
region. To date, Semporna holds the record for the highest species richness of at
least the Fungiidae, which surpasses other areas with very high biodiversity in
the Coral Triangle.
04/1096
Successes in coral reef biodiversity monitoring using a public participation
model
Debbie Winton
, Samantha Burgess
Earthwatch Institute, Oxford, UK
Abstract
Long-term monitoring projects are the most effective way of establishing an
environmental baseline and accurately recording change in biodiversity and
ecosystem function. However, these projects are often expensive and labour
intensive, making them difficult to establish and maintain. Organisations which
encourage the use of unskilled volunteer researchers, or citizen scientists, to
assist field research can offer an alternative to traditional funding models. Coral
reefs provide the ideal ecosystem to engage public participation in long term
monitoring projects, because research sites are accessible, survey techniques
can be taught easily and significant data on both species and ecosystem function
can be collected. This presentation reviews data collected by public participation
from ten coral reef monitoring projects which ran between 5-10 years. The
research has been conducted in a diverse range of locations and has been
instrumental for coral reef conservation from local to international scales. Reef
monitoring data have contributed to marine reserve establishment (e.g.
Philippines), boat-restricted zones (e.g. Thailand), and improved understanding
of recovery from bleaching events and hurricanes (e.g. Belize and Bahamas).
04/1104
Conservation status of key players in coral reef ecosystems: the families
Labridae and Acanthuridae
Mia Theresa Comeros-Raynal
1
, John Howard Choat
2
, Yvonne Sadovy
3
, Barry
Russell
5
, Matthew Craig
4
et al.
1
Old Dominion University, USA,
2
James Cook University, Australia,
3
University of Hong
Kong, China,
4
University of Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico,
5
Arafura Timor Research
Facility, Australia
Abstract
Wrasses, Parrotfishes and Surgeonfishes (Families Labridae and Acanthuridae)
are key species in coral reef ecosystems as they limit the establishment and
growth of algal communities that impede coral recruitment. Increased fishing
pressure, widespread habitat destruction and modification, and the increased
duration and frequency of climate disturbances has led to population declines for
several species. Therefore, the Global Marine Species Assessment compiled
species-specific information on global distribution, population status, life history
characteristics, and major threats for each of 689 known species of labrids and
acanthurids. The probability of extinction of each species was assessed by the
IUCN Groupers and Wrasses Species Specialist Group under the Categories and
Criteria of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Twenty-one (3%) of the
species assessed are at elevated risk of extinction. Particular areas of concern
are the Western Atlantic coast of North America where 26-50% of species
present are threatened with extinction and Cocos Island where the highest
number of threatened species is found (4 species/10 km grid). Conservation
actions e.g.improvement of marine reserves, more stringent fishing regulations,
and continued monitoring of the population status at the species and community
levels are imperative for the prevention of species loss.
29
04/1109
B
iodiversity of deep-water coral ecosystems from the southeastern United
S
tates
S
andra Brooke
1
,
Steve Ross
1
1
Marine Conservation Biology Inst., Bellevue, WA, USA,
2
Univ. of NC at Wilmington,
W
ilmington, NC, USA
Abstract
E
xploration and research of deep-water corals has increased greatly over the
past decade, and although there is still much to learn, it is clear that the
b
iodiversity of fauna associated with these ecosystems is extremely high. Deep
structure forming corals of the southeastern US Atlantic (SEUS) and Gulf of
Mexico (GOM) have been the focus of several integrated research efforts since
2
001. These projects included species inventories of corals and associated fauna,
a
nd although these are incomplete, we have documented the dominant
i
nvertebrates and most of the fish species. The dominant structure forming coral
i
n both the SEUS and GOM is Lophelia pertusa, with Enallopsammia profunda and
M
adrepora oculata as secondary contributors. Large ‘tree’ corals (gorgonians and
antipatharians) and sponges also provide structure for other species. Some taxa
in these ecosystems are relatively well-known (numerically dominant cnidarians,
crustaceans, fishes), while others are very poorly described (sponges, boring and
encrusting fauna, cryptic fauna). Some species appear to have an obligate
association with deep coral habitat and many new species have been discovered.
W
e review the current understanding of biodiversity of deep coral ecosystems off
t
he SEUS and GOM, and where possible, will compare with similar ecosystems in
the eastern Atlantic.
04/1114
G
lobal distribution of deep-sea octocorals using habitat suitability models
Chris Yesson
1
, Michelle Taylor
2
, Derek Tittensor
3
, Andrew Davies
4
, John Guinotte
5
,
e
t al.
1
Zoological Society of London, UK,
2
University of Oxford,UK,
3
Dalhousie University,
C
anada,
4
B
angor University, UK,
5
M
arine Conservation Biology Institute, Washington,
U
SA,et al.
Abstract
Three-quarters of Octocorallia species are found in deep waters (>50m). Deep-
s
ea octocoral colonies are often major constituents of deep-sea habitats. Global
distribution and habitat requirements of octocorals are poorly understood given
the difficulties of sampling at depth. Habitat suitability models are useful tools to
e
xtrapolate distributions and provide an understanding of ecological
r
equirements. Global habitat suitability models and distribution maps are
p
resented for 7 suborders of Octocorallia using a global database of 12,508
s
pecimens and global environmental grids at ~1 km2 resolution. Suborder
S
essiliflorae has the widest potential habitat range, but all suborders show
preferences for continental shelves and margins, particularly the North and West
Atlantic and Western Pacific Rim. Global distribution estimates highlight many
unsampled suitable areas, which should provide a useful resource. The level of
calcite saturation state was found to be an important factor associated with
habitat suitability, as it is one critical component in their structural development.
A
round 3% of octocoral records were found in undersaturated waters, however
t
his is affected by a shallow-water sampling bias. The predicted shallowing of
the calcite saturation horizon, resulting from raised atmospheric CO
2
, could see
many present-day octocoral habitats becoming under-saturated in the future,
with unknown consequences for octocoral populations.
0
4/1119
B
iodiversity and distribution patterns of Octocorals of Sultanate of Oman
Anita Mary
HMR Consultants, Muscat, Oman
Abstract
S
urvey along three locations in Oman during November 2008 to December 2010
recorded 18 species of soft corals and gorgonids of the families Clavulariidae,
A
lcyoniidae, Nephtheidae, Melithaeidae, Plexauridae, Anthothelidae, Xeniidae,
G
orgoniidae, Acanthogorgiidae and Ellisellidae. Genus includes Sarcophyton,
Lobophytum, Sinularia, Dendronephthya, Umbellulifera, Scleronephthya,
C
hironephthya, Sansibia, Heteroxenia, Menella, Muricella, Echinogorgia,
Acanthogorgia, Astrogorgia, Euplexaura, Paraplexaura, Echinomuricea, Verrucella
a
nd several unidentified species. The species are recorded for the first time in
Oman and the spatial distribution showed that Bandar Al Khiran has the highest
biodiversity followed by Yiti and Salalah. It is observed that shallow water reefs
often dominated by soft corals whereas deep-water communities (>15m) were
dominated by gorgonians and antipatharians. Also it is found that Sinularia and
Sarcophyton were distributed throughout the surveyed sites but Lobophytum in
restricted areas. A considerable taxonomic effort is needed in this region to
document the true diversity of octocorals.
0
4/1122
F
uture of coral habitat St. Martin Island, Bangladesh
Zahirul Islam
Marinelife Alliance, Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh
Abstract
S
t. Martin Island is only Coral bearing Habitat in Bangladesh situated 15 kms
westward from Myanmar coast. Coral habitat are being destroyed gradually
d
uring the last three decades initially anthropogenic and since 2002 by invasion
o
f mass tourism even there has been several government conservation projects.
There has been limited underwater survey and species damaged far before the
i
nventory. So far 66 sclerectinian coral species recorded out of 15 families and 22
genera. Government playing dual role: manage island biodiversity and
e
ncouraging mass tourism. St. Martin is ecologically critical area under the
environmental Act in 1999 but currently tourism owned by the outsider is in full
swing and community losing their livelihood based on ecotourism due to lack of
support. Lands of the community are being sold to outsider businessmen. In
winter each day 5-8 large tourist vessels visit starting from October to April
resulting huge number of underwater plastic garbage, sedimentation over live
coral colonies and sewage discharge to the underground drinking water and
surrounding marine habitat creating devastating situation that will be visible in
near future. The future of the island ecosystem is in jeopardy and its time to take
initiative for a locally managed Marine Protected Area.
04/1165
Computer Vision Coral Ecology: Using automated and semiautomated
processing of coral reef images to monitor time series observations at Bocas
Del Toro, Panama
Benjamin Neal
, Tali Treibitz, David Kline
University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
Abstract
Anthropogenic stresses to coral reefs ecosystems coupled with climate change
impacts are causing unprecedented declines in coral reefs globally, yet
appropriate technology to monitor the health of coral reefs at large temporal and
spatial scales is lacking. I present here the development of a computer vision
enabled photographic coral ecology monitoring tool which will aid rapid, large
scale, objective monitoring of coral reef health, on spatial and temporal scales
appropriate to the scale of such as global warming and ocean acidification.
Using corrected, high resolution digital images of tagged coral reef targets
acquired over a 6 year period in Panama, bleaching and recovery trajectories of
individual colonies of Montastrea franksii are presented, along with attendant
changes in the genetic diversity of symbionts. I will also present advances in
additional enabling technologies including enhanced Red/Green/Blue (RGB)
image cameras, the development of a new multi-spectral fluorescence camera,
and will relate these to improvements in time series photographic monitoring for
coral reefs.
05/0145
An invasive species alters the nature of detrital subsidy to macrofaunal
communities in sedimentary habitats
Kira A. Krumhansl
, Robert E. Scheibling
Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Abstract
Allochthonous inputs of macroalgal detritus can be an important food source for
benthic communities in sedimentary habitats, linking high and low productivity
areas. We compared decomposition rates and faunal assemblages associated
with detached thalli of the invasive green alga Codium fragile ssp fragile and the
native kelp Saccharina longicruris on a sediment bottom (18m depth) below a kelp
bed in Nova Scotia, Canada. Change in mass, nutritional quality, and colonization
by macrofauna (>1 mm) of each algal species were measured after 4, 8, 12, and
16 weeks of decomposition. S. longicruris degraded more rapidly than C. fragile
initially, but degradation slowed below that of C. fragile following a decline in
water temperature. Macrofaunal assemblages differed significantly between the
native and the invasive alga, and varied over time. Total macrofaunal abundance
was higher on S. longicruris than C. fragile after 4 and 8 weeks, but declined to
similar levels as on C. fragile after 12 weeks. Macrofaunal diverstity (Shannon
Index) was consistently greater on C. fragile than on S. longicruris, largely due to
a high abundance of polychaetes (Capitellidae) and low abundances of other
species on S. longicruris after 4 weeks of degradation.
30
05/0183
T
he invasive alien crab Percnon gibbesi (H.Milne-Edwards, 1853) in the Marine
P
rotected Area of Linosa Island (Central Mediterranean Sea)
P
aolo Raineri
1
,
Andrea Adriani
1
,
Lorenzo Pironi
1
,
Dario Savini
1
,
Anna Occhipinti
A
mbrogi
2
,
Carlo Nike Bianchi
3
1
F
or-Mare Onlus, Gerenzago, Italy,
2
U
niversity of Pavia, Pavia, Italy,
3
U
niversity of
G
enoa, Genova, Italy
Abstract
Linosa is the first Mediterranean location where the tropical crab Percnon gibbesi
w
as recorded, in 1999. Starting from 2009, its distribution, density and
reproductive potential have been surveyed along the whole coast of the island to
provide information about the success of its introduction and impact on the
n
ative biota. The study was performed during two summer monitoring activities
i
n 2009 and 2010, conducted by scuba diving and snorkelling visual census
t
echniques. A distribution map was obtained by surveying shallow waters, while
p
opulation density was assessed in seven localities. Population structure was
e
valuated on a sample of 40 P. gibbesi specimens, collected randomly. Territorial
competition with the native crabs Pachygrapsus marmoratus and Eriphia
spinifrons was investigated by comparing their population density values one
meter above and one below the low tide mark in relation to habitat type and dial
cycles. Findings showed a successful acclimatization of the alien crab with high
reproductive potential, resulting in wide distribution and high density. Linosa is
n
ow part of the ‘Pelagie’ MPA and, as biological invasions are considered to be
o
ne of the five big issues in conservation biology worldwide, continued
monitoring of P. gibbesi population within this area is recommended.
05/0196
J
ellyfish bloom in the Lebanese seawaters:Is it an index of “Tropicalization” of
t
he East Mediterranean?
S
ami Lakkis
,
Raymonde Zeidane
Lebanese University, Beirut, Lebanon
Abstract
A
mong six species of Scyphomedusae present in the Lebanese coastal waters,
R
hizostoma pulmo and Rhopilema nomadica are the most important. This latter is
a recent migrant from the Red Sea into the Eastern Mediterranean, where it
a
ppeared in the plankton community during the nineties and overcame later R.
pulmo in abundance. The invader stinging and venomous R. nomadica show
multi-annual fluctuations and heavy seasonal variations. The released
“
ephyrules” larvae became young individuals by mid-June when water
t
emperature rise suddenly to 24-25˚ C and reach bloom from early July to end
o
f August making heavy aggregations with high density (1-5/m
-
2
)
.
M
ultiannual fluctuations during 1990-2010 are not regular from year; they
d
epend upon thr vsrisbility of hydrological factors, such as temperature,
e
cological and trophic factors (phytoplankton, zooplankton). During the last four
d
ecades, and after the Aswan dam in 1965, we noticed an increment of
temperature and salinity averages in the whole Levantine Basin ( T= 0.40˚C,
S~0.35‰). These hydrological changes induce ecological changes of the
ecosystems. In addition to global warming, they enhanced biological invasion of
Indo-Pacific species into the East Mediterranean and create certain
“Tropicalization” of the Levantine Basin
0
5/0208
S
usceptibility and resilience to invasions: macrozoobenthic communities in the
Dutch delta waters.
Sander Wijnhoven
, Pim van Avesaath, Vincent Escaravage, Herman Hummel
N
IOO-CEME, Centre for Estuarine and Marine Ecology, Yerseke, Netherlands
Abstract
An increasing number of exotic macrobenthic species is recorded in the Dutch
d
elta waters. With respect to the ecological integrity of these systems, it is
i
mportant to know what determines the successful settlement and expansion of
these populations. Based on a long-term monitoring data set for the Dutch delta
w
aters it was investigated whether the susceptibility and resilience of benthic
communities to invasion differs with the biotic and abiotic conditions prevailing in
t
hese systems. Large differences in the level of invasion were found between the
water bodies. The share of exotic species varied between 9 and 23 % of the total
density and 40 to 81 % of the total biomass. These striking differences in
dominance patterns of the exotic species between water bodies were related to
the prevailing community structure resulting from the level of environmental
degradation, the water exchange rate with the open sea, and/or the size of the
water body. The consequences and potentials for policy and water management
will be discussed.
0
5/0223
E
nvironmental factors related to the occurrence and spread potential of a
blooming cubomedusae (Carybdea marsupialis), in Southwestern
M
editerranean Coasts.
A
ntonio Canepa
1
,
Verónica Fuentes
1
,
Mar B. Belmar
1
,
Melissa Acevedo
1
,
Kilian
Toledo-Guedes
2
, Isidro Rico
2
, Antonio Ortiz
2
, Elia Durá
2
, César Bordehore
2
, Josep
Maria Gili
1
1
Institut de Ciències del Mar-CSIC,Spain,
2
Universidad de Alicante, Spain
A
bstract
Jellyfish blooms have demonstrated to be an important driving force of changes
i
n local biodiversity as well as change in ecosystems due to their interactions
with other species or with ecosystem services. Recently, high numbers of the
c
ubomedusae Carybdea marsupialis (Carybdeidae) have been found in the coast
of Denia (SW Mediterranean, Spain). Some negative interactions with tourist and
local people due to their painful sting have been found and ecological
consequences probably occur because of the high density found in those
beaches. Due to the geographic specificity of this phenomenon we considered
the niche modeling approach, as a tool to elucidate which environmental
restrictions influence their presence in the area. We used BIOMOD R-Package
which also allows taking into consideration some possible spread ranges of this
cubodemusae species. Variables as sea temperature and salinity, current
direction and percentage of sandy bottom, were the most important variables
which explained its distribution. Differences on the environmental restrictions
between C. marsupialis juveniles (less than 5mm) and adult (more than 2 cm)
organism were found, reflecting their particular role on the ecosystem. Different
models tested gave similar outputs on spread predictions to geographically
neighbor areas.
05/0268
Influence of disturbance frequency on the biodiversity of marine communities
and their susceptibility to invasion
Elizabeth J. Cook
, Christine M. Beveridge
Scottish Association for Marine Science, Oban, Argyll, UK
Abstract
The physical removal of species can provide new areas for colonisation by native
and non-native invasive species. The frequency of this physical removal (or
‘disturbance’) can influence the diversity of marine communities, with low and
high disturbance frequencies producing the lowest species diversity (i.e.
intermediate disturbance hypothesis). Low biodiversity, however, is thought to
play a role in increasing the susceptibility of a community to invasion by non-
native species. The interaction between disturbance and invasion resistance by
marine communities was, therefore, investigated between April and October
2009 in three marinas in the Clyde Sea, south-west Scotland; Largs, Clyde
Ardrossan and Troon. All three marinas are known to contain established
communities of invasive species. Settlement panels were used as artificial
substrata and were initially allowed to colonise naturally for eight weeks. This
‘maturing phase’ was then followed by a ‘disturbance phase’, where the panels
(n=168) were manipulated with different disturbance frequencies for 24 weeks.
The community composition was recorded from photographs taken throughout
the ‘disturbance phase’. The interaction of disturbance frequency, biodiversity
and susceptibility of a community to invasion will be discussed.
05/0291
Novel species assemblages of alien and native fish and their parasites in a
warming Mediterranean
Ariel Diamant
1
, Menachem Goren
1
, Bella S. Galil
1
, Mehmet Baki Yokes
1
1
Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research Institute, Israel,
2
Tel Aviv
University, Israel,
4
Department of Molecular Biology & Genetics, Haliç University,
Istanbul, Turkey
Abstract
Mounting evidence suggests that rising average Mediterranean surface water
temperatures are affecting the influx and establishment rates of Red Sea
(Lessepsian) species in the Levant Basin (eastern Mediterranean). Warming
waters also appear to be driving a trend of accelerated westward expansion and
survival, as the temperature tolerance range of increasing numbers of
thermophilic alien species is reached outside the Levant Basin. As alien species
blend into native Mediterranean communities, unique species assemblages are
formed that have no historic counterparts. Such species assemblages are
bringing together novel parasites and hosts in encounters that have potential for
serious consequences: evidence from the literature indicates that ecological
impacts of such phenomena are generally unpredictable and on occasion can
reach catastrophic dimensions.
The relative importance of parasites extends far beyond their specific host
populations. Nevertheless, host populations are regulated by complex
mechanisms and it is difficult to isolate host-parasite net effects. In the present
study, we surveyed branchial and alimentary tract macroparasites of fish species
that are members in such novel Mediterranean species assemblages along the
Israeli and Turkish coasts. The data will be discussed in view of current
knowledge on the biodiversity of fish parasites in the Levant basin.
31
05/0368
E
cosystem function in a low-diversity system – hypoxia mitigation by an
i
nvasive species
J
oanna Norkko
1
,
Daniel Reed
2
,
Karen Timmermann
3
,
Alf Norkko
4
,
Bo
G
ustafsson
5
,
Erik Bonsdorff
1
,
Caroline Slomp
2
,
Jacob Carstensen
3
,
Daniel Conley
6
1
Å
bo Akademi University, Finland,
2
U
trecht University,Utrecht,
3
A
arhus University,
D
enmark,
4
F
innish Environment Institute, Finland,
5
S
tockholm University, Sweden,
6
L
und University, Sweden
Abstract
H
ypoxia is a major threat to the functioning of benthic communities. Such
disturbance can provide opportunities for invasive species to establish and these
species can subsequently become the main drivers of ecological change.
B
ecause invasive species more readily invade low-diversity or perturbed
s
ystems, the Baltic Sea is particularly prone to invasions. There is, however,
r
ecent evidence that improved bottom-water oxygen conditions in coastal areas
o
f the Baltic Sea coincide with increased abundances of the invasive polychaetes
M
arenzelleria spp. Using a reactive-transport model, we demonstrate that the
bioirrigation activities of dense Marenzelleria populations have a major impact
on sediment phosphorus dynamics and that they may facilitate the switch from a
seasonally hypoxic system back to a normoxic system by increasing the
sediment’s phosphorus retention capacity. The model is used to illustrate
mechanisms through which Marenzelleria can act as a driver of ecological
c
hange, although hypoxic disturbance or natural population declines in native
s
pecies may be needed for them to initially establish. Although invasive species
are generally considered to have negative ecosystem effects, we here show a
potential positive effect of one of the main invaders in the Baltic Sea. We further
highlight the importance of dominant species in ecosystem functioning.
05/0444
I
mpacts of an invasive ecosystem engineer on meiobenthic diversity: a case
s
tudy along the coast of NSW, Australia
F
abiane Gallucci
1
,
Pat Hutchings
2
,
Paul Gribben
3
,
Gustavo Fonseca
1
1
CEBIMar-USP, São Sebastião - SP, Brazil,
2
Australian Museum, Sydney-NSW,
A
ustralia,
3
U
niversity of Technology, Sydney-NSW, Australia
Abstract
T
he present study investigates the impacts of the habitat-modifying green algae
Caulerpa taxifolia on meiobenthic communities along the coast of NSW, Australia.
M
eiofaunal responses to invasion were varied in type and magnitude depending
on the site, ranging from a slight increase to a substantial reduction in
meiofauna and nematode abundances and diversity. The multivariate structure of
m
eiofauna communities and principally nematode assemblages differed
s
ignificantly in sediments invaded by C. taxifolia compared to native habitats
(
sediments colonized by Zostera capricorni and unvegetated sediments), but the
m
agnitude of this dissimilarity also differed between the sites. These differential
e
ffects of C. taxifolia on the fauna were explained by the different sediment redox
potential. Sediments with lower oxygen concentration showed significantly lower
fauna abundances, number of meiofaunal taxa and nematode species and more
distinct assemblages. The higher levels of hypoxia and the greater effects of C.
taxifolia on the fauna occurred at the longer colonized sites suggesting that the
effects of C. taxifolia increase with time. In the short-term, the habitat
m
odification caused by C. taxifolia invasion seems to facilitate some infaunal
o
rganisms, increasing local diversity. With increasing exposure, C. taxifolia
appears to strongly degrade sediment conditions causing a significant loss of
benthic biodiversity.
0
5/0466
E
ffects of increasing densities of invasive oysters (Crassostrea gigas) on the
structure and functioning of estuarine ecosystems
Dannielle Green
1
, Tasman Crowe
1
, Carlos Rocha
2
1
U
niversity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland,
2
T
rinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
Abstract
Invasive species are one of the most important threats to ecosystems due to
t
heir impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning and services. Invasive
b
ivalves, such as the Pacific oyster, Crassostrea gigas, are of particular concern
in coastal marine ecosystems due to their ability to transform large areas of
h
abitat. Wild populations of C. gigas have recently been found inhabiting a range
of habitats in Ireland. A field experiment was used to explore the effects of
i
ncreasing densities of C. gigas on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in a
number of estuarine habitats. Faunal samples, pore-water nutrient profiles,
community respiration and organic matter were measured after 3 and 15
months. Assemblage structure differed between habitats and densities of
oysters, and multivariate dispersion indices decreased with increasing densities
of oysters. The abundance of some key taxa including Littorina littorea, and an
invasive barnacle, Elminius modestus increased with increasing density of
oysters. Similarly, community respiration (CO
2
flux) and diffusive flux of NH
4
+
across the sediment-water interface increased with increasing density of
oysters. The impacts of C. gigas on diagenetic processes, can potentially affect
the quality of services, such as nutrient cycling, provided by estuarine
ecosystems.
0
5/0517
P
opulation dynamics and predation impact of the introduced ctenophore
Mnemiopsis leidyi in the Gullmars fjord, west coast of Sweden
Lene Friis Møller
, Peter Tiselius
U
niversity of Gothenburg, Dep. of Marine Ecology-Kristineberg, Fiskebäckskil,
Sweden
Abstract
L
ately, waters of northern Europe, including Swedish waters, are facing a new
p
roblem with the invasion of the ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi. Given the rapid
growth and high reproductive output of the species, severe effects on its prey
p
opulations may be expected. However since the effects on the ecosystem
depend on complex interactions in the pelagic community, it is impossible to
p
redict the outcome of the introduction into Swedish waters based on
observations from other areas. In the current project we study the development
of the M. leidyi population in the well documented Gullmars fjord on the west
coast of Sweden by sampling the pelagic community for M.leidyi and zooplankton
approximately once each week. The programme, which also includes, Chl a
measurements and CTD casts, has been running from January 2007 and is still
ongoing. Results so far has shown a 3 fold increase in the M. leidyi biomass from
2007 to 2008/2009 during peak abundances in late summer. Also a change in the
jellyfish composition has been observed. While the fjord was previously
dominated by the moon jellyfish Aurelia aurita during summer, we have hardly
seen any the last few years.
05/0700
Impact of Alien Foraminifer Fauna on the Habitat Structure Along the Turkish
Coastline
Mehmet Baki Yokes
1
, Engin Meriç
2
, Niyazi Avsar
3
, Feyza Dinçer
4
1
Haliç University, Istanbul, Turkey,
2
Moda Hüseyin Bey Sokak No: 15/4, Kadıköy,
Istanbul, Turkey,
3
Çukurova University, Dept. Geological Engineering, Adana, Turkey,
4
Adiyaman University, School of Vocational Studies, Adiyaman, Turkey
Abstract
Invasion of the Mediterranean Sea by alien species is getting increasingly
prominent every day. 34 species of alien foraminifera have been reported from
the coasts of Turkey. Majority of these species are suggested to be introduced via
Suez Canal. Because of their thermophilic characteristics, most of them are only
observed on the Mediterranean coasts. Only a few species which have broad
range of environmental preferences are widely distributed in the Aegean Sea.
But, abundant populations of thermophilic alien foraminifers are locally
observed around the submarine springs on the Aegean coast of Turkey,
suggesting that the environmental conditions created by the warm springs help
the thermophilic aliens to extend their range of distribution towards the northern
Aegean coasts.
The alien foraminifers are found to coexist with other native benthic species.
However Amphistegina lobifera and Amphisorus hemprichii are found to be
exceptionally common on the Southwestern coasts of Turkey. The density of
living Amphistegina lobifera individuals on the rocky substrate can exceed 300000
individuals/m
2
and results in an extreme rate of sedimentation on the sea
bottom. The extensive accumulation of sand changes the whole habitat type and
coastal structure, and alters the species composition of the coastal ecosystem.
05/0839
Biotic resistance to the invasive oyster Crassostrea gigas is not presently
weakened by oyster disease
Emma Wilkie
1
, Melanie Bishop
1
, Wayne O’Connor
2
, Ross McPherson
3
1
Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, Australia,
2
Department of Primary
Industries, Fisheries Research Institute, Taylors Beach, NSW, Australia,
3
Environment Division Hornsby Shire Council, Hornsby, NSW, Australia
Abstract
Emerging diseases and invasive species represent two of the greatest threats to
marine biodiversity, yet their cumulative effects are rarely considered. Where
emerging diseases weaken biotic defences that limit the success of invaders,
impacts of invaders on native communities may increase. In Australia, the
Sydney rock oyster Saccostrea glomerata is increasingly threatened by outbreaks
of QX-oyster disease caused by a parasite, Marteilia sydneyi. QX-disease reduces
fitness and increases mortality among wild S. glomerata, which might allow the
non-native and QX-resistant Crassostrea gigas to out-compete and displace
native oysters on rocky shores, potentially causing large cascading effects on
associated invertebrates and fish. We tested this hypothesis in areas
immediately adjacent to those where QX disease currently causes up to 90%
mortality among cultured oysters. We found that despite impacts on aquaculture,
apparent rates of mortality of wild S. glomerata were much lower, and
abundances of C. gigas were generally low. Nevertheless at one site were S.
glomerata abundance was low, C. gigas was abundant. Our results indicate that
QX disease is not presently reducing biotic resistance of Australian systems to C.
gigas. However, the spread of existing or new aquatic diseases might weaken
longer term biotic resistance to invasive marine species.
32
05/0849
B
iogeographic aspects of Marenzelleria spp. invasion in the northern Baltic Sea
Alexey Maximov
Z
oological Institute of the Russian academy of sciences, St. Petersburg, Russian
Federation
Abstract
T
he polychaetes of genus Marenzelleria are one of the most successful invaders
i
n the Baltic Sea. These polychaetes appeared in 1985 and colonized quickly the
entire Baltic Sea, where now they are presented by three sibling species. The
e
arly stages of invasion connected with spread of North American Marenzelleria
neglecta and Marenzelleria viridis. In 2000s the “second wave” of expansion
occured in the northern Baltic Sea caused by introduction of Marenzelleria arctia,
t
he species of estuarine arctic faunistic complex inhabiting the mouth areas of
l
arge northern rivers. During the last Ice Age the crustacean species of this
c
omplex penetrated to the inland waters and the Baltic Sea (so called “glacial
r
elicts”). Until recently, they dominated in the macrozoobenthos of the northern
B
altic Sea. Thus M. arctia invasion can be considered as logical completion of the
process of expansion of arctic estuarine fauna to the brackish northern Baltic
Sea. At present the Baltic and arctic estuarine communities are very similar in
structure. In this connection the popular views about strong negative impact of
polychaetes (particularly their competition with native Baltic glacial relicts) are
doubtful. In the Arctic the both taxa coexist at least tens of thousands years
w
ithout any negative environmental consequences.
05/0854
M
ytilus trossulus in the White and Barents Seas: distribution, hybridization with
M
. edulis
M
arina Katolikova
1
,
Mikhail Gantsevich
2
,
Risto Vainola
3
,
Petr Strelkov
1
1
Saint-Petersburg State University, Saint-Petersburg, Russian Federation,
2
Moscow
S
tate University, Moscow, Russian Federation,
3
N
atural History Museum, University
o
f Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
Abstract
Mussels are the common inhabitants of European coastal waters. Traditionally,
N
orth European seas were considered to be inhabited by the Atlantic species
Mytilus edulis, except the Baltic, inhabited by the Pacific M. trossulus. Recent
studies, however, showed the presence of M. trossulus in the Northern, Barents
a
nd White Seas. Here we focus on the new occurrences in the White and Barents
S
eas. Basing on allozyme data, M. trossulus is most often found together with
m
ore common M. edulis. We show a bimodal genotypic structure of mixed
p
opulations with dominance of parental forms. Limited hybridization is however
o
bserved. Distribution of M. trossulus is highly mosaic at both regional and local
scales, and also among age classes in mixed populations. We also report a
temporal dynamics of the hybrid zone in the NE Kola Bay (Barents Sea):
concordant decrease of M. trossulus in populations during the period of 5 years
(2004-2009). Differences in ecological preferences and longevity of the two
species imposed on a background of presumed invasion history and sea
t
emperature fluctuations could partly explain observed spatial and temporal
p
atterns.
The work was supported by Ministry of Science and Education of RF, Russian
Foundation for Basic Research, Finish Academy of Science.
0
5/0893
E
nvironmental factors that influence the local establishment of Pacific oysters:
modelling occurrence data from a coordinated sampling programme
Judith Kochmann
1
, Francis O’Beirn
2
, Jon Yearsley
1
, Tasman Crowe
1
1
U
niversity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland,
2
M
arine Institute, Galway, Ireland
Abstract
Population data from the early stages of marine invasion are rarely available in
t
he literature but are important for understanding and managing the invasion
p
rocess. Pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas) are invasive in many parts of the
world but have been farmed for over 30 years in Ireland without becoming
e
stablished in the wild. However, our extensive sampling programme in 2009
revealed small and moderate numbers of oyster individuals outside aquaculture.
T
his programme was designed to be cost-effective and repeatable and to enable
assessment of factors associated with establishment of the oysters. It involved
close cooperation among a number of state agencies and universities. Based
upon the data gathered a logistic model was applied and demonstrated that
oysters were more likely to be found in proximity to aquaculture, on hard
substrata and in large intertidal areas and were less likely to be found in the
presence of macrophytes. The findings are being used as the basis for
experimental tests of mechanisms affecting establishment, to improve prediction
of further spread and to directly inform management actions.
0
5/0982
A
bundance and Population Dynamics of the Invasive Ctenophore Mnemiopsis
Leidyi Apparently Established at the Delta of the Ebro River, Catalan Coast, NW
M
editerranean sea.
M
acarena Marambio
,
Verónica Fuentes, Alejandro Olariaga, Antonio Canepa,
Josep Maria Gili
I
nstitut de Ciències del Mar-CSIC, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
Abstract
T
he abundance and population dynamics of the ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi
were analyzed through monthly samplings in a recently invaded area of the
C
atalan coast, Alfacs Bay, Ebro River Delta, during 2010-2011.
A
previous assessment of the eco-physiology of the ctenophore Mnemiopsis
leidyi, together with the environmental conditions of the invaded area, indicates
t
hat a successful establishment of this species is feasibly in the mentioned area.
Preliminary results of the seasonal population dynamics, showed summer
outbreaks, overwintering, and a winter size structure dominated by larval stages,
suggesting a successful establishment of M. leidyi in the studied area. The
population´s age structure was also analyzed, showing periods with high
reproductive index, where the smaller size classes were predominant, followed
by periods of larger sizes dominating the population structure.
This study, apart from representing a broad and systematic investigation on the
abundance and possible establishment of M. leidyi in the southern Catalan coast,
is aiming to be an evidence of the expanding distribution range of this invasive
ctenophore along the whole Mediterranean basin in the last years. A fact that
should be taken into account, considering the predatory impact of this species in
the pelagic ecosystems of previous invaded areas.
05/1065
‘Another Place’ for the settlement and recruitment of the invasive barnacle
Elminius modestus (Darwin)
Sally Bracewell
, Rob Marrs, Matthew Iles, Leonie Robinson
University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
Abstract
The settlement and recruitment of barnacles is well studied and it is known that
a variety of biological and physical factors influence these processes during both
the larval and adult stages of the life cycle. The Antony Gormley art installation
‘Another Place’ features 100 life-size, almost identical, cast-iron figures that
were installed along the foreshore at Crosby Beach, Liverpool in 2005. The
statues represent a unique opportunity to study the factors influencing the
recruitment of an invasive barnacle in a replicated fashion. The invasive barnacle
Eliminius modestus has spread along the majority of Britain’s coasts after being
introduced in 1947, and was found to be the dominant species inhabiting the
statues. A mixed model was used to explore the influence of various factors on
the spatial distribution of this species which included; shore height, exposure,
direction and topography. A combination of these factors and their interactions
were found to be important in determining the recruitment patterns of Eliminius
on the statues. Whilst the distribution of Elminius is well studied the factors
influencing recruitment are less well known and a greater awareness of these
patterns could prove beneficial to conservation efforts considering the threat to
native biodiversity invasive species may pose.
06/0006
Our Balancing Act - the true value of ecosystems
Denis Slieker
1
, Jos van Assendelft
1
1
Face the Future, Utrecht, Netherlands,
2
IUCN, Amsterdam, Netherlands,
3
The Forest
Enterprise Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Abstract
The Forest Enterprise Foundation (TFEF) studied the preconditions that need to
be met in order to restore the balance between the demand and supply of
ecosystem services. The solution is called Sustainable Ecosystem Management
(SEM), a framework for the management of ecosystems, which includes
financial, economic and social benefits for all stakeholders.
The main elements of SEM are long-term revenue streams for ecosystem
conservation revenues which are at the level of conversion of ecosystems to
other forms of land-use (opportunity costs), reliable quantification of the services
delivered by ecosystems, regulation and payment for usage of ecosystem
services and equal rights to ecosystem services for all citizens.
In order to implement regulation & payment schemes for the usage of
ecosystem services it is required to be able to define the value of ecosystems.
TFEF studied several (economical) valuation models. Based on the study, The
Forest Enterprise Foundation defined the elements that define or influence the
value of ecosystems and incorporated them in a new method/model for the
valuation of ecosystems and ecosystem services: TFEF Market driven cash flow
method. This method incorporates elements such as scarcity, biodiversity, the
number and type of ecosystem services provided, opportunity costs and cash
flows.
33
06/0601
W
hat do marine scientists care for? - Values and preferences of European
m
arine experts for marine environmental management
A
nne Husum Marboe
1
,
Poul Holm
2
1
Roskilde University, Roskilde, Denmark,
2
Trinity Long Room Hub, Dublin, Ireland
Abstract
I
n the positivist paradigm, the role of research and expertise is to provide value-
f
ree advice for the political system. This paper takes as a point of departure the
notion that experts nurture values, preferences and preconceived opinions just
l
ike other human beings. What distinguishes the expert is the degree of self-
reflexivity and ability to recognise own values and blind spots and hopefully to
take measures to counteract bias. Our objective is to clarify values, preferences,
a
nd expectations of European marine scientists when confronted with the need
t
o translate research findings into conservation advice. Based on a questionnaire
c
irculated to European marine scientists the paper examines cultural, economic
a
nd social values and preferences of this expert community with regard to
m
anagement plans and their implementation.
T
he questionnaire addresses two major issues: (1) In the eyes of the experts to
w
hat degrees are present management plans informed by ecological, economic,
and cultural objectives? (2) What are the preferences of the scientists
themselves? Finally, based on a correlation of the questionnaire with information
from the EuroBarometer, we seek to identify if scientists’ preferences are
different from those of the public on regional and national levels among the
member states in the European Union.
06/0658
H
ow much do Europeans care about marine biodiversity? Conclusions from a
c
ross country contingent valuation study
A
driana Ressurreição
1
,
James Gibbons
2
,
Charlotte Bentley
2
,
Daryl Burdon
3
,
J
onathan Atkins
3
,
et al
1
U
niversity of the Azores,Portugal,
2
B
angor University, UK,
3
U
niversity of Hull, UK,et
a
l.
Abstract
European legislation requires an ecosystem-based approach in which societal
d
esires and good science contribute to target ‘good environmental status’ for
Europe’s seas. Although some progress has been made there is a lack of studies
that evaluate public preferences for marine species taking into account the
c
ultural differences within Europe. We report the results of a contingent study
u
ndertaken at three case-study sites: Azores islands, Gulf of Gdansk and Isles of
S
cilly. The study considered species richness of five marine taxa (mammals, fish,
a
lgae, birds and invertebrates) and respondents were asked to value a scenario
o
f 10% or 25% of species loss from the current level. Results indicated different
locations have different preferences for marine taxa. In the Azores, although
mammals and fish were valued highly small differences occurred in the WTP
among different taxa. Respondents in Scilly put a relatively low value on fish
while algae and mammals are highly valued. In Gdansk, respondents define a
clear order of preference for mammals> fish> birds> invertebrates and algae.
T
hese findings suggested that cultural differences may be important drivers of
v
aluation and throw doubts on the commonly held premise that charismatic taxa
have a disproportionately strong influence on WTP for biodiversity conservation.
0
6/0761
A
pplying the ecosystem approach to marine ecosystems: a proposed typology
of ecosystem services and assessment of data congruity and availability
Corinne Baulcomb, Salman Hussain
, Rudolf de Groot, Rebecca Koss, Anne
B
oehnke-Henrichs, Abdulai Fofana
SAC, Edinburgh,, UK
Abstract
I
in 2008 the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) became operative to
b
oth address the condition of Europe’s regional seas and to require the
achievement of good environmental status (GES) in these seas by 2020.
I
ntegrated assessments thereof must consider not only the impact of new
management strategies on the ecological status of marine ecosystems, but also
t
he impact of these strategies on the provision of marine ecosystem services and
their value.
However, data for such an assessment in the marine environment are sparse
and a systematic approach comprising of methodologies targeted at and
designed for marine ecosystems is needed to accomplish this. In this paper, we
propose a marine-focused adaptation of the ecosystem services typology
developed in the TEEB study (The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity -
http://www.teebweb.org). To allow for a consistent step-wise approach we set out
the ecological characteristics of the MSFD which are indicators of GES and
identify the links between these characteristics and ecosystem services. We then
draw out the implications of these linkages for survey design in environmental
valuation. This adaptation of the TEEB typology constitutes one of the first
attempts to develop a systematic ecosystem service assessment method for
marine ecosystems.
0
6/0762
A
n application of the ecosystem service approach to the management of trawl
fishing impacts on benthic ecosystems in the North Sea.
Nicky Beaumont
, Caroline Hattam
P
lymouth Marine Laboratory, Devon, UK
Abstract
This study builds on recent theoretical advances in ecosystem service
a
ssessment to develop a classification for marine ecosystem services which is
r
eadily operational in a policy context. This classification is then utilised to define
the services provided by the marine benthic environment. The applicability to a
p
olicy relevant situation is investigated using the impact of trawl fishing on the
delivery and value of benthic ecosystem services derived from the North Sea as a
c
ase study. The relevance and utility of this classification to other policy
questions is also assessed.
06/0778
Measuring changes in ecosystem service values for the deep sea
Niels Jobstvogt
1
, Nick Hanley
2
, Ursula Witte
1
1
Oceanlab, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK,
2
Economics Department,
University of Stirling, Stirling, UK
Abstract
Deep sea areas supply humans with valuable ecosystem services, including food,
nutrient cycling, carbon sequestration, and waste absorption. They are also
important habitats for marine biodiversity, including high profile species such as
cold water corals, although most deep-sea species are unfamiliar to the vast
majority of people. The supply of ecosystem services from deep sea areas around
the UK coastline are threatened by a number of factors, such as oil extraction,
bottom-trawl fishing, and cable laying. Several policy initiatives are in place to
respond to these threats, including draft Marine Protected Area legislation.
Estimating economic values for changes in ecosystem service flows from the
deep sea poses great challenges both for scientists and economists. This paper
reviews what is known about the economic value of deep sea ecosystem services
and the main problems faced in quantifying change, before describing a choice
experiment which was used to investigate preferences of the Scottish general
public for different conservation management actions in deep sea areas in the
North East Atlantic. The attributes used include distance of protected areas from
the coast, nature of biodiversity being protected, which sectors of the economy
are restricted in activities and the costs to taxpayers and consumers.
06/0795
Marine ecosystem service valuation using benefit transfer: Do cultural
differences between study and policy sites matter?
Stephen Hynes
1
, Daniel Norton
1
, Nick Hanley
2
1
SEMRU (Socio-Economic Marine Research Unit)J.E. Cairnes School of Business and
Economics, National University of Ireland, Galway, Galway, Ireland,
2
Economics
Department, University of Stirling, Stirling, Scotland, UK
Abstract
The process of identifying and quantifying the value of marine ecosystem
services provides valuable information to policy makers for the efficient
management of the natural resources within a particular marine area. Benefit
Transfer (BT) techniques can be used to value marine and coastal ecosystem
services in a particular policy site by using values estimated for similar services
at another coastal zone site. BT is particularly suitable to the valuation of coastal
and marine ecosystems where the researcher is operating on a scale that may
be unfeasible for primary research in terms of valuing a large numbers of
services across multiple ecosystems Using cultural dimensions from a previous
study that ranked 62 societies with respect to nine attributes of their cultures we
develop a culture index that we use to reweight the study site ecosystem service
benefit estimates prior to transfer to our policy site which is Galway Bay in the
west of Ireland. We examine whether these culturally adjusted BT estimates are
statistically different than simply transferring the unadjusted mean value
estimates or income adjusted mean transfer estimates for each marine
ecosystem service to the policy site.
34
06/0931
A
place in the sun for coastal recreation: a GIS-based meta-analysis and global
v
alue map
A
ndrea Ghermandi
,
Paulo A.L.D. Nunes
Ca’ Foscari University, Venice, Italy
Abstract
T
he economic values of the recreational services provided by coastal ecosystems
w
orldwide are examined through a meta-analysis of an expanded database of
stated and revealed preference estimates. A series of site and context
c
haracteristics such as site accessibility, anthropogenic pressure, level of human
development and richness in marine biodiversity are introduced for the first time
in a meta-analysis of coastal recreation and found to significantly influence
v
alues. The results of the meta-regression are transferred and scaled up to
p
roduce the first global map of the recreational value of coastal ecosystems.
G
eographic Information System (GIS) tools are fully integrated in the analysis
a
nd relied upon for the characterization of the valued ecosystems, determination
o
f the spatially explicit variables of the meta-regression model, and value
transfer exercise. The policy implications of the study for the prioritization of
areas for conservation or development are outlined.
06/1016
V
aluing the Ecosystem Services of the Chagos - a Preliminary Review
Pippa Gravestock
U
niversity of York, York, UK
Abstract
T
he Chagos is the geographical name of the British Indian Ocean Territory
(
BIOT). It is comprised of fifty five islands and is centrally positioned in the Indian
O
cean, lying at the southernmost end of the Laccadives-Maldives-Chagos ridge.
In April 2010, the UK Government announced the creation of a Marine Protected
A
rea in the territory which at more than 500,000 km² in size, is understood to be
the largest in the world.
T
his presentation looks at the findings of an economic review of the ecosystem
goods and services of the Chagos Archipelago. The review examined existing
levels of research usage with the additional consideration of a small tourism
industry. An economic value was estimated for seven benefits. Uncertainty over
s
ome aspects of the ecosystem functions of the Chagos along with the
i
ntangibility of some of its benefits and the rarity of its combined characteristics
p
resented challenges in quantifying its economic value potentially resulting in a
s
ignificant underestimation in its value. What is evident however, is that not only
are many of its ecosystem goods and services of considerable economic worth
but they are widely distributed - both within the region and beyond.
0
6/1140
A
pplying relative risk assessment to natural goods : Ecological rather than
economic valuation
Heino Fock
, Matthias Kloppmann, Vanessa Stelzenmüller
v
TI Inst of Sea Fisheries, Hamburg, Germany
Abstract
Ecosystem valuation is seen as a function of ecosystem services provided to
h
uman society, be it commercial or non-commercial uses. Although heavily
i
mpacted, according to traditional valuation theory the sum of services of the
seafloor ecosystem in the North Sea has not changed as compared to conditions
b
efore WWII. Whereas fisheries removed part of the system’s capacity for
biological control due to capture of top predators, benthic biomass and thus the
p
rovision of food resources for the fish stocks has increased sustaining an
ongoing highly exploited fishery. Despite the similarities between service
reduction analysis and risk assessments, in the case of fisheries the trade-off in
ecosystem services will deliver a biased result for the assessment of natural
resource damage, whereas risk assessments with a focus on impacts as such
will not. Thus, for assessing natural goods methodologies should be applied, that
also take account of qualitative properties of ecosystem components. Combining
quantitative and qualitative measures, risk assessments of ecosystem goods
lead from economic to ecological valuation, considering risk values as a new
‘currency’ for the ecosystem. Based on long-term data sets for the German EEZ
in the North Sea, goods and services, fisheries and associated risks will be
quantified.
0
6/1158
A
lternative approaches to the valuation of biodiversity benefits in marine and
coastal ecosystems
Piran White
, Dave Raffaelli
U
niversity of York, York, UK
Abstract
Environmental valuation has been embraced enthusiastically by policy-makers
a
s something which can aid decision-making in relation to the use of natural
r
esources. Economic valuation using real, surrogate or hypothetical markets
has been applied increasingly in marine environments, as well as in terrestrial
o
nes. This type of valuation is most robust when applied to benefits that are in or
close to financial markets but becomes less reliable as the benefits become less
f
inancially tangible. Moreover, the emphasis on monetization of value means that
the environmental and social dimensions of value can be overlooked. In the
paper, we discuss some of the limitations of this monetary approach to valuation,
and discuss the pros and cons of alternatives, including those which explicitly
consider social and environmental dimensions of management (such as Holistic
Ecosystem Health approaches) and those which emphasize effectiveness or
efficiency rather than absolute value (Cost Effectiveness, Cost Utility Analysis
and Threat Reduction Assessment). We show how these different approaches can
be applied in a marine ecosystem services context. Finally, we highlight some of
the remaining challenges surrounding the application of valuation to marine
ecosystems, in particular relating to the functional role of biodiversity in
underpinning ecosystem service delivery.
07/0129
The Census of Antarctic Marine Life - a robust platform for future research
Michael Stoddart
University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia
Abstract
The Census of Antarctic Marine Life (CAML) was conceived as a significant
Antarctic contribution to the recent International Polar Year 2007-2008, as well
as to the Census of Marine Life 2000-2010. Over 300 scientists from 30 nations
particpated and field research was undertaken on 19 research voyages. CAML
has built up a database through SCAR’s Marine Biodiversity Information Nework
containing 1.2 million geo-referenced data points, 9,300 species in 17 phyla.
Many data were recovered from mostly-elderly scientists, who would otherwise
have not submitted their observations to any database.
Analysis of the entire dataset reveals the existence of a single bioregion around
Antarctica, with no evidence of introduced species. The faunal diversity is
remarkably high, and many samples - particularly from deep waters - reveal
undescribed species. Many cryptic species have been revealed from single
morpho-species in many phyla. Sampling underneath recently collapsed ice
shelves reveals that pelagic species recolonise quite quickly, and benthic species
more slowly. The Antarctic Circumpolar Current has been shown to be
responsible for the distribution and northwards occurrence of deep sea octopus
with molecular evidence for the timings of significant speciation events.
The publication of three special issues in 2011 provide a robust basis for future
research in this pristine ocean.
07/0155
The Census of Marine Life: Implications for management - past, present, and
future
Kristen Yarincik
1
, Patricia Miloslavich
1
, Paul Snelgrove
1
1
Consortium for Ocean Leadership, Washington, DC, USA,
2
Universidad Simon
Bolivar, Caracas, Venezuela,
3
Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, NL,
Canada
Abstract
The international Census of Marine Life culminated in 2010 after a decade of
research to explore and understand the diversity, distribution, and abundance of
life in the oceans - past, present, and future. The Census studied and synthesized
information on marine biodiversity at an unprecedented scope and scale,
spanning large areas of the ocean for which little was known such as the deep
sea and open ocean.. This first global baseline of knowledge on marine
biodiversity, provided by the Census, already supports processes to manage and
protect biodiversity by informing the identification of ecologically or biologically
significant areas. The global and comprehensive scientific results of the Census
encompass habitats and taxa, and therefore offer broad application to inform
management decisions and guide scientific priorities into the future.
35
07/0159
A
synthesis of seamount ecological paradigms: fact, fiction and the future
Ashley Rowden
1
, John Dower
3
, Thomas Schlacher
2
, Mireille Consalvey
1
, Malcolm
C
lark
1
,
Karen Stocks
4
1
National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research, Wellington, New Zealand,
2
U
niversity of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia,
3
U
niversity of Victoria,
V
ictoria, BC, Canada,
4
U
niversity of California, San Diego, USA
Abstract
Seamount ecology has a relatively short history, but a number of hypotheses and
i
solated results have seemingly become cemented in the scientific and
conservation literature as ecological paradigms. These include the concepts that
seamounts generally are special or unique habitats, and their faunal
c
ommunities are sufficiently different from, and/or more fragile than, those of
o
ther deep-sea habitats. These concepts, coupled with increasing knowledge of
t
he impacts and threats posed by fishing to seamount habitat and communities,
s
timulated a field programme under the Census of Marine Life termed CenSeam
(
a global Census of marine life on Seamounts) as well as a number of seamount-
focused research projects in recent years.
I
n this paper we review some of the main findings of this research effort, and
evaluate the robustness of some of the key generalisations that seamounts:
function like undersea islands, have highly endemic fauna and unique
assemblages, are hotspots of biodiversity, have high primary productivity and
high biomass, are stepping stones for dispersal, and can act as refugia in
changing ocean climate.
This review provides a basis to suggest future ecological research directions, that
w
ill integrate seamount habitat into the wider context of deep-sea ecosystems.
07/0279
B
eyond 2010: A Strategy to Carry the Census of Marine Life Forward
Paul Snelgrove
1
, Patricia Miloslavich
2
, Kristen Yarincik
3
1
M
emorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s NL, Canada,
2
U
niversidad Simon
Bolivar, Caracas, Venezuela,
3
Consortium for Ocean Leadership, Washington, D.C.,
U
SA
Abstract
T
he first Census of Marine Life culminated in 2010, leaving a legacy of a network
of some 2,700 scientists worldwide enthused to continue work on the many
m
arine biodiversity questions that remain unanswered. The Beyond 2010
Committee, established in 2011, is an international group of leading researchers
tasked with developing a strategy to maintain this momentum. The absence of
o
ngoing core funding necessitates a lean, two-pronged strategy that will focus on
c
hanging oceans. At the national level, we seek to work in participating nations
t
o identify capacities, interest, and research priorities. At the international level
w
e are identifying cluster research activities that may be effective in attracting
f
unding in the post 2010 economy. We will steer these parallel efforts towards
common research goals, loosely united under a dispersed network.
0
7/0359
B
iodiversity in European Seas: Past, present and future
Bhavani Narayanaswamy
1
, Marta Coll Monton
2
, Roberto Danovaro
3
, Henn
Ojaveer
4
, Paul Renaud
5
1
S
cottish Association for Marine Science, UK,
2
I
nstitut de Ciències del Mar,
Barcelona, Spain,
3
Dipartimento Scienze del Mare, Ancona, Italy,
4
Estonian Marine
I
nstitute, Parnu, Estonia,
5
I
nstitute Akvaplan-niva AS, Tromso, Norway
Abstract
D
uring recent years there has been a notable increase in awareness of the
importance of marine biodiversity and the scientific community has increased
t
heir state of knowledge, particularly within the last decade. As part of the
Census of Marine Life, EU-funded research projects, regional and national
e
fforts, our knowledge regarding marine biodiversity and the magnitude and
consequences of its changes, is increasing in European Seas.
Results from regional syntheses provided evidence that although European
marine ecosystems are some of the best known globally, gaps in information are
still evident and that threats to diversity are increasing, changing and
diversifying. European seas are highly contrasting, including a range of
temperatures, salinity regimes, productivity, and ecosystem types. Contrasting
features, and multiple climate and human induced stressors are ideal for
developing, and studying, functional diversity that accompanies species diversity.
In this study we have used the European seas as an example to review future
targets of marine biodiversity to address the (1) identification of different
taxonomic groups, habitats and technologies that need to be prioritized to
further advance our knowledge, (2) exploration of links between species richness
and functional diversity, and (3) growing threats, e.g. introduction of aliens, or
impact of climate change.
0
7/0488
C
ensusing zooplankton diversity of the global ocean: progress, prospects, and
future challenges
Ann Bucklin
1
, Shuhei Nishida
2
, Sigrid Schnack-Schiel
3
, Peter H. Wiebe
4
, Nancy
C
opley
4
1
University of Connecticut, Groton, CT, USA,
2
Atmosphere and Ocean Research
I
nstitute, University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Japan,
3
A
lfred Wegener Institute for Polar and
Marine Research, Bremerhaven, Germany,
4
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution,
W
oods Hole, MA, USA
Abstract
T
he marine holozooplankton assemblage, including ~7,000 described species in 15
phyla, was the focus of the Census of Marine Zooplankton (CMarZ). CMarZ produced
n
ew information on species diversity, distribution, abundance, biomass, and genetic
diversity of zooplankton in biodiversity hotspots throughout the world oceans,
including little-known seas of Southeast Asia, deep-sea zones below 5,000 meters,
and polar seas. CMarZ used traditional plankton nets and newer sensing systems
deployed from ships and submersibles; analyses included traditional microscopic and
morphological examination, as well as molecular genetic analysis of zooplankton
populations and species. CMarZ photo galleries of living plankton captured public
interest; training workshops enhanced taxonomic expertise in many countries. CMarZ
sought to provide a new baseline for detection of impacts of climate change, improve
public appreciation for marine biodiversity (especially small organisms); and develop
new tools for characterizing species diversity through fully-integrated morphological
and molecular taxonomic analysis. Building upon the foundation provided by CMarZ,
future challenges and directions include intensive/extensive examination of
time/space patterns of species diversity, development of rapid DNA-based analysis of
biodiversity for ecosystem approaches for fisheries management, and examination of
the significance of zooplankton diversity for ecosystem function and services.
07/0491
South American Research Group on Coastal Ecosystems: a NaGISA regional
legacy
Juan Cruz-Motta
1
, Patricia Miloslavich
1
, Francisco Barros
2
, Gregorio Bigatti
3
,
Alvar Carranza
4
, Augusto Flores
5
, Judith Gobin
6
, Eduardo Klein
1
, et al.
1
Universidad Simón Bolívar, Venezuela,
2
Universidade Federal da Bahia, Brazil,
3
Centro Nacional Patagonico (Conicet), Argentina,
4
Museo Nacional de Historia
Natural, Uruguay,
5
Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil,
6
University of the West Indies,
Trinidad and Tobagoet al.
Abstract
NaGISA was a collaborative effort aimed at inventorying and monitoring
biodiversity from the intertidal to the subtidal shore worldwide. By 2010, NaGISA
had sampled >250 sites within 28 countries (from 77.85°S-70.38°N, and
178.59°W-179.31°E). Building on the NaGISA experience, the South American
Research Group on Coastal Ecosystems was established to assess marine
diversity and biomass along both coasts of South America that will allow to: i)
test hypotheses about latitudinal gradients and patterns of local and regional
biodiversity, ii) identify the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem
functioning and iii) asses the effect of environmental gradients and
anthropogenic stressors. The group is now an unprecedented initiative in the
region involving 9 countries, 23 researchers, and 46 localities, that will address
challenging questions in marine ecology which can be scaled up to a global level.
A simplified and common sampling protocol has already been implemented, and
further efforts will generate the necessary information and data that will help
society to find solutions to several specific problems related to coastal
monitoring and the identification of environmental impacts at different scales
and the effects of global change.
07/0520
Patterns of beta diversity and their relationships with environmental drivers in
marine ecosystems
Lisandro Benedetti-Cecchi
1
, Laura Tamburello
1
, Camilo Mora
2
, Heike K Lotze
2
,
Katrin Iken
3
, Boris Worm
2
, Brenda Konar
3
, et al.
1
University of Pisa, Italy,
2
Dalhousie University, Canada,
3
University of Alaska
Fairbanks, USA,et al
Abstract
Using a large database compiled within the Census of Marine Life Program, we
examined spatial turnover of species composition at scales of 300 and 1000 km
in 9 large marine ecosystems encompassing four assemblage types: algae and
invertebrates on rocky shores, macrofauna in shallow and deep soft bottoms and
coastal fish. Through Generalized Additive Mixed Models (GAMMs ) we examined
the link between a standardized measure of beta diversity that accounted for
differences in sampling intensity among sites and key environmental factors that
presumably affected species turnover: SST, acidification, human population
density and hydrodynamic forcing. GAMMs highlighted a negative relationship
between beta diversity and acidification and a hump-shaped relationship
between beta diversity and SST. The analysis also revealed a strong positive
relationship between turnover in species composition and spatial gradients in
both these environmental variables. Beta diversity was only weakly related to
human population density and hydrodynamic forcing. Results were consistent
across ecosystems and with respect to the scale at which spatial turnover was
assessed. Our findings suggest that human activities may contribute to shape
patterns of beta diversity in marine coastal ecosystems through the modification
of existing environmental gradients and the alteration of actual conditions within
any focal site.
36
07/0560
A
n analysis of the Ecological Function of the North Mid-Atlantic Ridge
Imants Priede
U
niversity of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland, UK
Abstract
A
s part of the Census of Marine Life MAR-ECO programme www.mar-eco.no
“
Patterns and Processes of the Northern Mid-Atlantic” a series of expeditions
v
isited the Mid-Atlantic ridge between the Azores and Iceland during 2002 and
2010 to investigate the biomass and biodiversity of photosynthesis-dependent life
i
n mid ocean from the surface to the sea floor. The questions asked were:
1. Is surface primary production and export flux to the sea floor enhanced in mid
o
cean by the presence of the ridge influencing upwelling or distribution of
oceanic fronts?
2. Is biomass in mid ocean enhanced by the presence of the ridge providing
s
ubstrate for benthic organisms or other mechanisms?
3
. What is the effect of the ridge on biodiversity in mid-ocean?
4. Is there evidence for a basin-wide effect of the ridge?
New results from the UK -ECOMAR programme which established 4 time-series
stations on the Mid Atlantic ridge are presented together with a synthesis.
07/0586
T
he CAML Barcoding Campain 2007/2010 – current state and future forecast
Katrin Linse
1
, Rachel Grant
1
, Huw Griffiths
1
, Dirk Steinke
2
, Victoria Wadley
3
1
B
ritish Antarctic Survey, Cambridge, UK,
2
C
anadian Centre for DNA Barcoding,
Guelph, Canada,
3
Australian Antarctic Division, Kingston, Australia
Abstract
O
ver the last 3 years the Census of Antarctic Marine Life (CAML) Barcoding
C
ampain coordinated the collaboration between the Antarctic marine biology
scientific community and the Canadian Centre for DNA Barcoding. Initiating
l
arge-scale barcoding projects to record the genetic diversity of Antarctic marine
fauna, this successful campaign increased the knowledge and accessibility of
Antarctic COI sequences for species’ identifications by almost 50 times in three
y
ears. A total of 20,355 marine specimens from more than 2,000 morphospecies
c
overing 18 phyla have been processed. The geographic and taxonomic coverage
o
f DNA barcode data in the Southern Ocean will be displayed and remaining
k
nowledge gaps shown. Here we present a summary of the already identified
s
pecies complexes and give a forecast on futures discoveries based on
outstanding barcode analysis and comparisons. We will review the current
Antarctic biogeographic regions in the context of the detected genetic diversity
and challenge the assumption of circum-Antarctic species distributions.
0
7/0591
I
ntegrated views of marine biodiversity knowledge at the regional ecosystem
level: implications for research design and analysis contributing to ecosystem
b
ased management.
P
eter Lawton
1
,
Lewis Incze
2
1
F
isheries and Oceans Canada, Science Branch,
Biological Station, Canada,
2
University of Maine, School of Marine Sciences, Darling
Marine Center, USA
Abstract
T
he Gulf of Maine Area Program, the regional ecosystem pilot of the Census of
Marine Life, supported development of a regional register of marine species,
b
uilt relationships with regional data providers to increase coverage of
biodiversity observations within ocean information systems, and conducted field
p
rojects at a broad range of spatial scales. Biodiversity knowledge was
integrated through: consideration of the size spectrum of known biodiversity;
d
econstruction of biodiversity into component elements of composition,
structure, and function; and, representation of the regional ecosystem as a set of
nested spatial domains and complexities. Relative biodiversity knowledge was
summarized for different ecosystem compartments (microbial system,
zooplankton and pelagic nekton, upper trophic level predators, benthos and
demersal nekton, coastal margins, and slope and seamounts). This broad
framework for representing biodiversity knowledge facilitates and helps focus
dialog regarding the interests, capacities, and demands on curiosity-driven
science, issue-directed science, and ecosystem based management. In moving
forward with new national or international programs of marine biodiversity
research, adopting a broad conceptual framework within which the interests and
insights of a range of practitioners and stakeholders can be organised provides
the important capability to both evaluate current knowledge and highlight
promising and important new research avenues.
0
7/0626
O
ceans past and future markets
Poul Holm
Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
Abstract
T
he global History of Marine Animal Populations project, a project of the Census
of Marine Life, asked questions such as when and how did we choose to engage
w
ith the seas, what and how much did we extract? Marine environmental
h
istorians have come up with some answers to the questions. We now know the
origins of commercial fisheries in Europe going back 2000 years, and we have a
g
ood sense of developments in many regions around the globe during the last
500 years ranging from the Caribbean to the White Sea, from the American
P
acific to New Zealand. So is it all a story of doom and gloom - of an unrelenting
trajectory through time depleting the oceans - or is the historical experience
more varied? Although the economics of path-dependency may predict the
immediate future reasonably well - and for the oceans that outlook is gloomy -
we need to build models to understand what causes human behavioural change.
I shall argue that human preferences - or markets - have changed dramatically
through history with significant consequences for marine life. Such insights may
illuminate what it takes to change future economic markets in the interest of
protecting ocean life.
07/0774
Going deeper: Looking beyond the Census of Marine Life with INDEEP
Mireille Consalvey
1
, Maria Baker
2
, Lenaick Menot
6
, et al
1
NIWA, Wellington, New Zealand,
2
NOC, Southampton, UK,
6
IFREMER, Brest, France,
et al
Abstract
The Census of Marine Life (2000-2010) helped accelerate the rate of scientific
investigation in the deep ocean and improved our understanding of marine
biodiversity, biogeography and ecosystem function, past, present and future.
However, whilst the Census model of treating each habitat in isolation worked
well to address some of the key research questions that reined at its inception, it
rapidly became apparent that we cannot consider deep-sea habitats in isolation
but rather must consider this largest biome on Earth in its entirety.
Building on the foundation of knowledge and international collaborations
developed throughout the Census of Marine Life the International Network for
Scientific Investigations of Deep-Sea Ecosystems (INDEEP) was born. INDEEP
will develop our understanding of deep-sea global biodiversity and functioning,
and provide a framework to bridge the gap between scientific results and society.
This presentation will highlight how the major findings of the Census of Marine
Life have informed the 5 major INDEEP themes 1) Taxonomy and evolution, 2)
Global biodiversity and biogeography, 3) Population connectivity, 4) Ecosystem
functioning and 5) Anthropogenic impact and social policy; and will look forwards
to the next 10 years of deep-sea research.
07/1118
CoML and GOBI: Data and scientific advice for international policy mechanisms
Patrick Halpin
1
, Edward Venden Berghe
2
, Patricio Bernal
3
, Daniel Dunn
1
1
Duke University, Durham, NC, USA,
2
Rutgers University, Newark, NJ, USA,
3
IUCN,
Gland, Switzerland
Abstract
The Global Ocean Biodiversity Initiative (GOBI) is an international partnership
advancing the scientific basis for conserving biological diversity in the oceans. It
aims to help countries, as well as regional and global organizations use existing
and develop new data, tools, and methodologies to identify ecologically
significant areas in the open ocean and deep sea. The Census of Marine Life is a
founding partner in GOBI. The Mapping and Visualization Team and the Ocean
Biogeographic Information System (OBIS) are the CoML liaisons to GOBI and
have worked to disseminate results from CoML projects to international policy
fora through GOBI. This work has resulted in critical background reports to CBD
Expert Workshops, scientific advice to Parties on CBD recommendations, a
prototype for the CBD EBSA Repository, a manual on the identification of EBSAs,
workshops on the identification of benthic and pelagic EBSAs, and
acknowledgment of the important roles CoML, OBIS and GOBI play in assisting
the implementation of CBD recommendations. Here we review how results from
CoML will continue to be influence the international policy arena.
37
08/0003
B
iodiversity patterns as key evidence for the timing and location of West
A
ntarctic seaways and ice sheet collapse
D
avid Barnes
,
David Vaughan, Peter Fretwell
British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge, UK
Abstract
P
ast ice sheet response to climate has been identified as the weak link of current
c
limate change modelling. However biodiversity data has recently become a key
aid. We present how bryozoan data is elucidating the location and timing of
s
eaways/ partial collapse of the West Antarctic ice sheet (WAIS). Much bed
beneath WAIS lies below sea level so loss of sufficient ice would open trans-
Antarctic seaways, with profound impacts on sea level, climate and ocean
c
irculation. Recent work suggested that a seaway once linked the Ross and
W
eddell seas but its route and timing was not defined. New biodiversity and
t
opographic data shows that a pair of seaways likely connected the Weddell and
R
oss seas, via the Amundsen Sea. We found that current ice-loss rates could
o
pen seaways connecting the Amundsen and Ross seas (A-R) in ~1200 years, and
Amundsen and Weddell seas (A-W) in 3600 years. This indicates sensitivity to
current warming. Bryozoan similarity patterns (including the first Amundsen
Sea samples) and ice thinning data suggest that both seaways may have opened
during the last interglacial (MIS 5e) when temperatures were higher than
present for ~10,000 years. This establishes MIS 5e as a valuable test case for
i
ce-sheet models.
08/0067
R
evisiting Remane’s Concept: Evidence for Strikingly High Plankton Diversity
i
n the Horohalinicum of the Baltic Sea
I
rena Telesh
1
,
Hendrik Schubert
2
,
Sergei Skarlato
3
1
Zoological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, -,
2
Institute of
B
iological Sciences, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany,
3
I
nstitute of Cytology,
R
ussian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, -
Abstract
One of the major biodiversity rules, the Remane’s “Artenminimum” (species-
m
inimum) concept, argues that taxonomic diversity is lowest in the
brackish-water habitats with salinity 5 to 8 psu, in the so-called horohalinicum.
This concept originated from, and is still applied to, the geologically young Baltic
S
ea known as the world’s largest semi-enclosed brackish water body with the
u
nique, permanent salinity gradient. The Remane concept originally developed
f
rom the data on macrozoobenthos; meanwhile, pelagic biodiversity in the Baltic
S
ea has long remained underrated. Here we show that, contrary to macrofauna,
p
lankton in the brackish Baltic waters exhibit the unexpectedly high diversity
(more than 4000 taxa), with dominance by protists and maximum species
richness within the horohalinicum. Findings are based on a broad meta-analysis
of large phytoplankton data sets, comprehensive species lists, long-term studies
of zooplankton diversity in estuaries, and a revision of zooplankton species
richness in the open Baltic Sea. This study challenges the Remane’s species
m
inimum concept by the newly discovered brackish-water biodiversity pattern
o
utlined by the ‘protistan species-maximum concept’, which refines the
horohalinicum paradigm by discriminating between the effects of salinity on
biodiversity of large sessile versus small motile aquatic species. Grants: RFBR
10-04-00943, BMBF RUS-09/038.
0
8/0106
B
iogeography of an isolated shelf sea ecosystem: low demersal fish diversity
on the Rockall plateau, North Atlantic.
Francis Neat
, Neil Campbell
M
arine Scotland Science, Aberdeen, UK
Abstract
This study compares the diversity of the demersal fish assemblage of an isolated
s
helf sea, the Rockall plateau, with that of the nearest adjacent continental shelf
s
ea ecosystem, the west coast of Scotland. Standardised bottom trawl surveys
were carried out between 1986-2008 on the Rockall plateau and the adjacent
s
helf sea to the west of Scotland. All demersal fish were identified, counted and
abundance standardised. The fish assemblage of the Rockall plateau was less
d
iverse. The proportional representation of species was also markedly different
with fewer common and temporally stable species and more rare and ephemeral
species. Many species absent from Rockall have life-history stages associated
with inshore habitat. The Rockall plateau fish assemblage can thus be described
as an impoverished subset of the NW European shelf sea fish assemblage. It is
likely that there are constraints on diversity imposed by the relatively small area
of the Rockall plateau and its degree of isolation by depth, distance and ocean
currents.
0
8/0150
P
eculiar life cycles of benthic organisms in the North Adriatic Sea
(Mediterranean Sea)
Cristina Gioia Di Camillo
1
, Federico Betti
1
, Marzia Bo
1
, Barbara Calcinai
1
, Carlo
C
errano
2
,
Michela Martinelli
3
,
Stefania Puce
1
,
Giorgio Bavestrello
1
1
Università Politecnica delle Marche, Italy,
2
Università degli Studi di Genova, Italy,
3
I
SMAR - CNR Ancona, Largo Fiera della Pesca, Italy
Abstract
T
he North Adriatic Sea is a shallow basin characterized by peculiar trophic and
hydrologic conditions affecting the composition, species abundance and seasonal
c
ycles of the benthic assemblages. Nutrient-rich freshwater inputs strongly
influence the productivity of the basin that is almost two fold higher than what
r
eported for the western Mediterranean Sea, but comparable to that of the North
seas. Chlorophyll levels are constantly high, even during summer, generally
considered an oligotrophic period. Due to the high productivity rates, the benthic
organisms reach sizes or densities significantly higher than the same species
observed in other Mediterranean localities. Long-term studies conducted in the
North Adriatic Sea mainly on sponges and cnidarians indicate that this basin is
also characterized by a wide occurrence of seasonal species, showing mainly a
summer active phase and winter dormancy. On the contrary in the western
basin, seasonal species are generally active during winter when food supply is
more abundant. This anomaly is probably due to the very low winter temperature
(5 °C and 13 °C for the North Adriatic Sea and the western Mediterranean Sea
respectively), that may cause the disappearance of thermophilic species during
the cold season.
08/0198
Biodiversity of Plankton community in the Lebanese Seawater(Levantine
Basin, Eastern Mediterranean)
Sami Lakkis
, Vanda Novel Lakkis, Raymonde Zeidane
Lebanese University, beirut, Lebanon
Abstract
Plankton community of the Levantine Basin (Est Mediterranean) is a warm
temperate type. Iit is characterized with high taxonomic diversity despite of
poor biomass. To date, 400 taxa of phytoplankton have been recorded, including
151 Diatoms and 227 Dinoflagellates . Zooplankton community includ 300
species of Microzooplankton and 700 Mesozooplankton with most Mediterranean
groups, including 175 species of Copepods Several species of Indo-Pacific origin
introduced through the Suez Canal, have established permanent populations in
the area .
Spatio-temporal distribution and the abundance of the species are affected by
prevailing hydrographic conditions, namely temperature, salinity, nutrients
concentration and prevailing current regime. The oligotrophy of the Levantine
basin is a limited factor to the primary productivity and to the secondary
zooplankton production.
Three annual hydrothermal phases dominate the plankton of the area: a cold
winter phase (December-March) during which the species diversity is high with
low phytoplankton standing crop and moderate zooplankton biomass. The warm
phase (May -November) is marked with high temperature and salinity, and
water stratifications forming sharp thermocline; during which we notice low
plankton diversity and poor abundance. A third short inter-phase (April-May)
shows moderate phytoplankton bloom with low diversity index, followed with
highly relative zooplankton abundance and small diversity.
08/0213
The role of abiotic and biotic factors in the vertical distribution of sandy beach
nematodes
Tatiana Maria
1
, Jan Vanaverbeke
1
, André Esteves
2
, Marleen De Troch
1
, Ann
Vanreusel
1
1
Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium,
2
Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife,
Pernambuco, Brazil
Abstract
Physical factors are known to drive the distribution of sandy beach organisms.
Most of these factors, such as interstitial water content and temperature, have
large fluctuations occasioned by tides. Therefore, the vertical distribution of the
nematode community on a macrotidal ultradissipative sandy beach in the North
Sea (De Panne, Belgium) was studied over a tidal cycle. The passive upward
movement of nematodes observed at high tide was related to the rising water
table. Smaller deposit feeders were dominant at the subsurface while large
predator nematodes concentrated at the surface during submersion. None of the
environmental factors measured were responsible for the observed patterns.
However stable isotopes analyses revealed that biological interactions among
nematodes, such as predation and competition, explained the segregation. In
addition, dual stable isotope analysis showed that the 2 major biological
components of sandy beaches (macrofauna and meiofauna) partly depend on
microphytobenthos evidencing the importance of in situ primary production in
intertidal foodwebs. However, meiofauna and macrofauna do not seem to
compete for this food source. The dual approach, which combined environmental
vs biological factors, evidenced the importance of the latter factor in controlling
the vertical distribution of nematodes in environments previously assumed as
mainly physical controlled.
38
08/0226
B
enthic community patterns across contrasting continental margins off New
Z
ealand
T
anya J. Compton
1
,
David A. Bowden
2
,
C. Roland Pitcher
3
,
Judi E. Hewitt
1
,
and
N
ick Ellis
3
1
N
ational Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, Gate 10 Silverdale Road
H
illcrest, Hamilton, 3216, New Zealand,
2
N
ational Institute of Water and
A
tmospheric Research, 301 Evans Bay Parade Hataitai, Wellington 6021, New
Z
ealand,
3
C
SIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research and CSIRO’s Wealth from Oceans
Flagship, GPO Box 2583, Brisbane, Queensland, 4001, Australia
A
bstract
C
ontinental margins, submerged landmasses occurring between the coast and the base of the
continental slope, are expected to provide some of the most heterogeneous real estate for marine
species. Even though these areas encompass 15% of the world’s seabed, very little is known
about the factors that drive community diversity in these areas. The contrasting environmental
conditions across New Zealand’s Chatham Rise and Challenger Plateau provide an ideal
opportunity for examining the role of regional environmental gradients for driving changes in
s
pecies composition across these continental margins. The Chatham Rise, jutting out from the
east coast of New Zealand, is an environmentally heterogeneous area where subantarctic and
subtropical water masses collide. By contrast, the Challenger Plateau, which juts out from the
west coast of New Zealand, is a relatively stable environment, as it lies solely in subtropical
w
aters. We expected that the greater environmental heterogeneity of the Chatham Rise should be
associated with greater community diversity relative to the Challenger Plateau. Indeed, using
c
ommunity level modeling approaches we show that assemblage structure on the Chatham Rise
w
as more heterogeneous than on the Challenger Plateau. In addition, the notable difference in
assemblage structure from the northern relative to the southern flank of the Chatham Rise
suggests that the sub-tropical front forms a biogeographic disjunction for species. Our results
s
how that continental margins in physically dynamic areas need to be considered as a habitat
mosaic for the sustainable management of biodiversity.
08/0307
T
he linkage between biodiversity and ecosystem functions in seagrass beds: a
m
ultiple spatial-scale approach in Japan
M
asahiro Nakaoka
1
,
Naoki Tojo
1
,
Kentaro Watanabe
1
,
Masakazu Hori
2
,
Yoshiyuki
T
anaka
3
,
Takehisa Yamakita
4
,
Napakhwan Whanpetch
5
1
H
okkaido University, Akkeshi, Japan,
2
F
isheries Research Agency, Japan,
3
J
apan
A
gency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, Japan,
4
F
orestry and Forest
P
roducts Research Institute, Japan,
5
C
hiba University, Japan
Abstract
B
iodiversity loss and degradation of ecosystem functions do not occur
independently, but are highly interrelated to each other. The understandings of
the relationships between biodiversity and ecosystem functions are thus
e
ssential for the conservation and sustainable management of coastal areas. We
i
nvestigated possible relationships among environmental factors, biodiversity
a
nd ecosystem functions in major seagrass beds in Japan by setting monitoring
s
ites across multiple spatial scales; (1) at a nationwide scale encompassing 1800
k
m coastlines along the Pacific coast of Japan, (2) at a mesoscale covering
several seagrass beds within a region, and (3) at a local scale within a
heterogeneous seagrass bed. Variables representing diversity (genetic diversity
of eelgrass, and species richness of plants and animal assemblages), and those
representing ecosystems functions (biomass and stability of seagrass and
associated assemblages) were measured and their interrelationship was
a
nalyzed. Variables representing ecosystem functions were correlated with
b
iodiversity measured at different spatial scales, and with multiple
environmental factors. However, the pattern of correlation varied greatly among
regions, among different scales of observation, and among dependent variables
in question, suggesting complex causal mechanisms for the observed
relationships.
0
8/0322
L
ongitudinal Porifera species turnover in North East Atlantic coldwater reefs
Rob van Soest
1
, Mario de Kluijver
1
, Nicole de Voogd
2
1
National Centre for Biodiversity, Zoological Museum of Amsterdam, Amsterdam,
N
etherlands,
2
N
ational Centre for Biodiversity Naturalis, Leiden, Netherlands
Abstract
A comparison is made of sponge diversity and abundance in nine cold water reef
l
ocations situated in four regions of the North East Atlantic, Rockall Bank (deep,
o
ceanic), Porcupine Bank (deep, oceanic), Mingulay (shallow, nearshore),
Skagerrak (shallow, nearshore). Literature data from two reefs were used to
s
upplement our data. Distance between the regions may be summarized as
Rockall Bank < Porcupine << Mingulay <<< Skagerrak. The first three regions are
s
ituated west of the British Isles and Ireland, and prevailing current patterns and
bottom conditions would make direct larval transport between all three a distinct
possibility. The fourth region, Skagerrak is situated away from the Atlantic
regions and larval contact between them would be hampered by long distances
over shallow sedimented sea bottoms. Accordingly, we expected the largest
taxon turn over to be between the three Atlantic regions and the Skagerrak
regions. However, sponge composition of shallow reef locations was found to be
more similar to each other than to deep oceanic reef locations, regardless of
longer distances between the shallow regions.
0
8/0335
D
istribution Pattern and Community Structure of Sea Cucumbers (Class:
Holothuroidea ) in Different Biogeographic Regions of the Selected Islands of
L
akshadweep Archipelago
I
drees Babu K.K
1
,
S. Suresh Kumar
2
1
Lakshadweep Marine Research and Conservation Centre, , Kavaratti Island ,, India,
2
D
epartment of Aquaculture and Fishery Microbiology, MES Ponnani
College,Ponnani, India
A
bstract
The distribution pattern and community structure of Sea cucumber (Class:
H
olothuroidea) was investigated in different biogeographic region of three atolls
of Agatti, Kavaratti, Kalpeni islands of Lakshadweep archipelago. Visual census
w
as used to estimate the abundance of the species along 50m X 10m transects.
15 species of Sea cucumbers belong to 7 genus and 3 family were recorded and
their distribution pattern in different atolls was worked out. Holothuria atra and
H. lecucospilota were at random distributed in Agatti while they, showed
aggregated distribution pattern in Kavaratti and Kalpeni. The community
structure of Sea cucumber in different biogeographic regions of the reef (Sea
grass bed, Sandy area, Reef flat, outer reef slop, Rocky and rubble area and Sea
weed and algae quarter) differs significantly(P<0.001). Species richness and
diversity index were estimated and compared between the different
biogeographic regions of three atolls. Species richness in Agatti with Kalpeni
atoll explain more or less comparable (1.61 ± 0.46) and (1.63 ± 0.82) respectively
and in Kavaratti species richness found less (1.33 ± 0.42), when compared with
Agatti and Kalpeni atoll. Species diversity of Kalpeni (2.1 ± 0.72) was higher than
Agatti (2 ± 0.57) and Kavaratti (1.6 ± 0.49).
08/0365
Changes in the diversity of the dinoflagellate genus Dinophysis (Ehrenberg) in
the north west North Sea
Eileen Bresnan
1
, Martin Edwards
2
, Rowena Stern
2
, Sarah Hughes
1
, Sheila
Fraser
1
, D.G. Johns
2
, Jean-Pierre Lacaze
1
1
Marine Scotland - Science, Aberdeen, UK,
2
Sir Alister Hardy Foundation for Ocean
Science, Plymouth, UK
Abstract
The dinoflagellate genus Dinophysis (Ehrenberg) is a common component of the
summer dinoflagellate community in northern North Sea region. Variation in the
distribution of Dinophysis in the North Sea has been shown on a decadal scale
using data collected by the Continuous Plankton Recorder (CPR). Interannual
variation has been observed in the diversity of this genus since coastal
monitoring began in Scottish waters in the mid 1990s. D. acuminata was
replaced by D. acuta as the dominant species during 2001. Since then, D. acuta
has decreased in abundance and the Dinophysis population has become
dominated by small, morphologically ambiguous cells requiring molecular
techniques for identification. The D. acuta event occurred during a period when a
negative salinity anomaly was observed in the Fair-Isle inflow into the North Sea.
Examination of data from the Continuous Plankton Recorder (CPR) shows that
previous negative salinity anomalies in the Fair Isle inflow have coincided with
elevated observations of Dinophysis in the CPR transect in the north western
North Sea. The influence of the physical conditions of the coastal waters and
inflow into the northern North Sea on the distribution and diversity of Dinophysis
will be examined.
08/0428
Seasonal changes in the zooplankton diversity in an Arctic fjord (Kongsfjorden,
Svalbard, 79°N): plausible causes and important consequences
Slawomir Kwasniewski
1
, Anna Olszewska
1
, Wojciech Walkusz
1
, Marta
Gluchowska
1
, Rafal Boehnke
1
, Haakon Hop
2
, Stig Falk-Petersen
2
1
Institute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Powstancow Warszawy 55,
Sopot, Poland,
2
Norwegian Polar Institute, Tromso, Norway
Abstract
Seasonal data provides an unique opportunity to asses possible temporal
changes in zooplankton diversity but such studies are not common, especially in
the Arctic. During the MariClim project (Marine ecosystem consequences of
climate induced changes in water masses of West Spitsbergen) zooplankton was
collected in spring, summer and autumn in 2006 and 2007 in a glaciated fjord
Kongsfjorden in the Arctic (79°N). Samples were taken at eight stations situated
in the fjord and on adjacent shelf and slope, with Multi Plankton Sampler (0.180
mm mesh size) in vertically stratified manner from bottom to surface. This
collection supplemented a reference seasonal study from 2002. Using
multivariate statistics we investigated seasonal changes in zooplankton
composition and abundance and tried to reveal, which of the environmental
parameters available for the study explain plausibly the observed dynamics. The
analyses suggests that the zooplankton community changes along two main
lines of environmental gradients, one related with the distance to/from the fresh
water from the galciers, second related with the seasonal development of the
Arctic ecosystem.
39
08/0430
T
he stability of rocky intertidal assemblages: latitudinal trends and
i
mportance of habitat-formers
F
abio Bulleri
1
,
Lisandro Benedetti-Cecchi
1
,
Mathieu Cusson
2
,
Arenas Francisco
3
,
I
acopo Bertocci
3
,
Tasman Crowe
4
,
Dominique Davoult
5
,
Claire Golléty
5
,
et al.
1
U
niversità di Pisa, Italy,
2
U
niversité du Québec à Chicoutimi, Canada,
3
U
niversity of
P
orto, Portugal,
4
U
niversity College Dublin,Ireland,
5
U
PMC Univ Paris 06, France,et
a
l.
Abstract
C
oncerns over the consequences of biodiversity loss on ecosystem functioning
have fuelled research on the diversity-stability hypothesis. Different
mechanisms, such as asynchronous species fluctuations, statistical averaging
a
nd overyielding, promote temporal stability. Using intertidal rocky shore
a
ssemblages as a model system, we assessed how stability and underlying
m
echanisms vary across latitudinal gradients and how they are influenced by the
r
emoval of habitat-forming macroalgae. The stability of community cover
d
ecreased from southern to northern shores, mainly as a result of increased
synchronization of species fluctuations. Experimental removal of algal canopies
caused a significant decrease of temporal stability at southernmost sites, while it
had no effect at higher latitudes. Following canopy loss, species fluctuations
became more synchronous at southern shores, while an opposite trend emerged
for shores at higher latitudes. Removing the canopy also caused a generalized
s
trengthening of the statistical averaging effect, but did not influence
o
veryielding. The results of our study suggest that documented latitudinal
patterns in the strength of species interactions (i.e. competition, herbivory) could
translate into variations in temporal stability at the level of the assemblage. In
addition, they suggest that the presence of habitat-forming species can influence
the fluctuations of associated species.
08/0440
S
patio-temporal variability in the diversity of the forage fauna of large fish
p
redators in the open-sea ecosystems of the Indian Ocean
F
rédéric Menard
1
,
David Ravard
1
,
Monique Simier
1
,
Michel Poitier
1
,
Evgeny
R
omanov
1
,
Bastien Merigot
2
1
I
RD, UMR 212 EME (Exploited Marine Ecosystems), France,
2
U
niversité Montpellier
2
, UMR 212 EME , France
Abstract
In open-sea ecosystems, micronektonic species are a primary food source for a
w
ide variety of harvested nektonic species. However they are a poorly understood
intermediate trophic link between the mesozooplankton and the higher trophic
levels. Predation by these pelagic predators is often described as an
o
pportunistic process constrained by local prey availability. Therefore, using top
p
redators as biological samplers of micronekton, the prey composition of the
s
tomach contents provides unique information on the diversity of the forage
f
auna. In this work, we investigated the spatio-temporal variations in the
d
iversity of micronektonic species using stomach contents of large fish predators
in the Indian Ocean during the past 40 years. Data came from the scientific Soviet
cruises conducted between 1962 and 1990, and recent cruises conducted by IRD
between 2000 and 2008. Fish predators were caught by longliners. The prey
composition (family level) of 8,815 non-empty stomachs was investigated using
multi-criteria and multi-index approaches (richness, diversity in frequency,
q
uadratic entropy) to tackle the heterogeneity of the data. Results showed that (i)
f
ew families dominated the forage fauna, (ii) many rare families varied in time
and space (iii) diversity remained largely stable. Spatio-temporal variations and
partitioning of resources among predators are discussed.
0
8/0465
S
patial variability in species diversity and composition of demersal fish
assemblages in the northern Mediterranean sea
Bastien Merigot
1
, Michele Gristina
2
, Jean-Claude Gaertner
3
, et al.
1
U
niversité Montpellier 2, France,
2
I
nstitute for the Coastal Marine Environment,
Italy,
3
Université Polynésie Française, Tahiti, French Polynesia,et al.
Abstract
F
aced to the actual global change, it appears to be of utmost importance to
q
uantify and monitor the variability of community diversity and composition. In
the present work, we have analysed the reproducibility of the empirical
r
elationships between 11 diversity indices related to four major facets of species
diversity (species richness, rarity, evenness and species taxonomy) in order to
d
etermine whether there is a general pattern of redundancy or complementarity
that holds across years, areas and spatial scales. Variation of species
composition at these different situations was investigated using the STATIS-CoA
multitable method. We have applied this approach to groundfish diversity
through the analysis of 2404 trawl hauls collected during the first large-scale
annual surveys of the MEDITS program carried out using a single sampling
design throughout the northern Mediterranean Sea. Our results highlight that, in
contrast to what is still the usual practice, monitoring diversity should not be
based on only one or two of the most widely used facets, even at large scale.
Finally, the strong reproducibility of the relationships between indices we
observed offers a basis for discussion of the feasibility and relevance of
proposing a general shortlist of indices for monitoring diversity at different
management scales.
0
8/0482
B
ioconnectivity: Meta-communities and their role in community recovery
dynamics
Mariachiara Chiantore
1
, Simon Thrush
2
, Valentina Asnaghi
1
, Judi Hewitt
2
,
R
iccardo Cattaneo-Vietti
1
1
DipTeRis, University of Genova, Italy, Italy,
2
NIWA, New Zealand, New Zealand
Abstract
M
eta-community theory provides a way of linking the relative importance of
r
egional vs local scale processes through the movement of species amongst
locations. This implies that assessing the role of ecological connectivity in rates
o
f recovery from local disturbance events could provide a useful measure of
potential resilience at the regional scale. We tested the relative importance of
l
ocal vs regional processes to recovery rates of rocky shore communities using a
disturbance/recovery experiment. At 6 sites along the Ligurian coast (NW
Mediterranean) we cleared benthic communities from 1m
2
plots and monitored
the recovery. We contrast recovery rates based on regional scale (the potential
connectivity between sites and regional species pool) and local scale (species
interactions and biogenic habitat modification) processes. The importance of
these processes to coastal biodiversity, where the prevailing concept of open
communities composed of highly dispersive species is being challenged,
indicates that these systems may be more sensitive to cumulative impacts than
previously thought. The dynamic and complex interplay found between
succession/recovery, disturbance and heterogeneity confirms the utility of
disturbance-recovery experiments as assays for cumulative change due to
fragmentation and habitat change in temperate rocky shores.
08/0490
Hidden islands within islands: recently discovered marine lakes in Indonesia
Leontine Becking
, Nicole de Voogd
Netherlands Centre for Biodiversity Naturalis, Leiden, Netherlands
Abstract
Marine lakes are small bodies of seawater with no surface connection to the sea,
but that have maintained a marine character through a network of small
submarine connections to the adjacent sea. Marine lakes are common in karst
landscapes adjacent to coral reef and mangrove systems. As a result of the
relative isolation from the open sea, these unique marine habitats could provide
new insights into complex ecological and evolutionary processes in tropical
shallow water systems. The marine flora and fauna of these lakes are, however,
sparsely documented. The objectives of the present study were to locate and
document unexplored marine lakes Indonesia in the Coral Triangle. Surveys of
the lakes and the adjacent coastal habitats showed that sponges were one the
most dominant taxa in terms of biomass and diversity. The sponge species could
be divided into three groups (1) species restricted to one lake (2) species shared
by almost all lakes, but unknown from the adjacent sea, and (3) widespread
species known from various locations in the Indo-Pacific reefs. In this
presentation we will discuss our preliminary results which show some analogies
to island systems in terms of species-area relationships, possible high
endemicity, and genetic isolation of populations.
08/0522
Hidden Benthic Biomass and Biodiversity in the North Sea
John Hartley
Hartely Anderson Ltd., Ellon, Aberdeenshire, UK
Abstract
A reliance on grab samplers can lead to distorted perspectives in benthic
ecology. Grab sampling in the North Sea dates back over a century, and
continues to be extensively used for regional and site specific studies. Recent
finds by non-standard sampling methods, of dense populations of large
Sipuncula (with novel associates), Echiura and other taxa across the North Sea
serve to emphasise that deep burrowing fauna is often inadvertently or
deliberately omitted during academic and applied benthic studies.
The deficiencies of remote benthic sampling have long been recognised e.g.
Petersen’s (1913) fine analogy of sampling Copenhagen by dredge from an
airship. Over the last two centuries there has been a shift from qualitative to
quantitative sampling in soft bottom benthic investigations. This has resulted in
generally smaller sample sizes and shallower penetration of the sediments as
grab and core samplers have supplanted dredges. This shift in gear has
implications for the understanding of ecosystem functioning, benthic biomass
and productivity, biodiversity, conservation priorities, and pollutant behaviour.
Whilst there are a range of methods available to census deeper burrowing
megafauna, there remain important gaps that serve to hinder their wider
application; proposals are made to address some of these gaps.
40
08/0564
I
ntertidal eelgrass: Dynamics in time and space
Marc Hubble
A
PEM Ltd, Stockport, UK
Abstract
E
elgrass beds can promote local biodiversity within coastal ecosystems and are
p
rotected habitats of worldwide conservation importance. Contributions of
e
elgrass to coastal ecosystem functioning are varied, for example they provide
refugia for fish and invertebrates; form a potential food source for marine
o
rganisms and birds; are vital primary producers acting as natural CO
2
s
inks;
and can improve sediment stability.
E
elgrass beds can be subjected to a range of anthropogenic pressures and
monitoring their health and extent is of prime importance. Relatively few
surveys, however, have been conducted within Europe to document inter-annual
variability in these systems, especially within the intertidal zone. This
p
resentation will discuss results of a four-year monitoring programme of two
i
ntertidal species of eelgrass (Zostera noltii and Zostera marina var angustifolia) at
R
oosecote Sands, Cumbria. Detailed quantitative surveys were undertaken via a
c
ombination of high resolution aerial photography and comprehensive ground
truthing across four consecutive years. Changes in percentage cover and spatial
extent were found to be notable across years with evidence of both retreat and
expansion. Factors potentially influencing eelgrass growth, the distinct variation
in the patterns observed for the two eelgrass species and implications for
eelgrass survey design will be discussed.
08/0573
S
mall-scale distribution spatial variability of benthic invertebrate larvae
Remi Daigle
, Anna Metaxas
D
alhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
Abstract
P
lankton “patches”, or spatial heterogeneity, affects the detected patterns in the
d
istribution of planktonic larvae, and the detection of “erroneous” data is often
a
ttributed to this patchiness. This study was designed to quantify the spatial
scale of variability in the distributions of different species of benthic invertebrate
l
arvae and relate this variability to that in physical and biological characteristics
of the water column. Larvae were sampled using contiguous net tows every 500
m, along two perpendicular 10 km transects in St. George’s Bay, Nova Scotia,
C
anada. Density, temperature, salinity, fluorescence, and currents were also
m
easured at each station. Gastropod, bivalve and, to a lesser extent, bryozoan
l
arvae had similar spatial distributions and variograms revealed that the spatial
s
cale of variation in abundance was ~4 km. However, the distribution of decapod
l
arvae differed from that of other groups. These data suggest that taxonomic
groups with functionally similar larvae (e.g. bivalves and gastropods) have similar
dispersal properties (distribution and spatial variability) while the opposite is
true of functionally dissimilar larvae (e.g. bivalves and decapods). Collectively,
these findings are significant as patchiness affects both the detection of
planktonic biodiversity patterns. Consequently, they are directly relevant to the
s
patial planning of marine reserves.
0
8/0585
Z
ooplankton diversity patterns along a latitudinal gradient in the Atlantic
Ocean
Claudia Halsband-Lenk
, Elaine Fileman, Rachel Harmer
P
lymouth Marine Laboratory, Plymouth, UK
Abstract
Zooplankton samples have been collected during a number of scientific
c
ampaigns within the framework of the Atlantic Meridional Transect (AMT), a
m
ultidisciplinary programme which undertakes biological, chemical and physical
oceanographic research during an annual voyage between the UK and
d
estinations in the South Atlantic since 1995, covering a distance of up to 13,500
km. This transect crosses a range of ecosystems from sub-polar to tropical and
f
rom euphotic shelf seas and upwelling systems to oligotrophic mid-ocean gyres.
We compare zooplankton diversity in integrated vertical samples taken during
selected cruises in the early 1990s with samples from 2010, spanning a period of
15 years. In addition to comparisons of community structure and composition
between the euphotic zone (200-0 m) and the surface community in these
systems, long-term changes are analysed and discussed in the light of ongoing
environmental change.
0
8/0605
L
arge-Scale Spatial Distribution Patterns of Gastropod assemblages in rocky
shores
Patricia Miloslavich
1
, Juan Cruz-Motta
1
, Eduardo Klein
1
, Katrin Iken
2
, Brenda
K
onar
2
,
Vanessa Weinberger
1
,
Juan Manuel Diaz
3
,
et al.
1
Universidad Simon Bolivar, Caracas, Venezuela,
2
University of Alaska Fairbanks,
F
airbanks, USA,
3
U
niversidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogota, Colombia, et al.
Abstract
L
arge scale gastropod assemblages from nearshore rocky habitats were studied
to (1) describe broad scale patterns, (2) identify latitudinal pattern of richness
a
nd abundance of gastropods and/or regional hotspots, and (3) identify
environmental and anthropogenic drivers of these assemblages.
G
astropods were sampled from 45 globally-distributed sites within 12 regions
(based on Large Marine Ecosystems or LMEs) following the NaGISA standard
protocol (www.nagisa.coml.org). A total of 394 gastropod taxa from 106 families
were collected (121 taxa exclusive to the intertidal, 171 taxa exclusive to the
subtidal, 102 taxa present in both). In all regions, assemblages were dominated
by few species, herbivores being the most diverse and abundant group.
No latitudinal gradients were evident in relation to species richness or densities
across sampling sites. Highest diversity was found in the Mediterranean and in
the Gulf of Alaska, while highest densities were found at different latitudes and
represented by few species within one genus (e.g. Afrolittorina in the Agulhas
Current, Littorina in the Scotian Shelf, and Zebina in the Gulf of Alaska).
Correlation of the matrices between the biological and the 14 environmental
variables was low (≤0.355). Variables explaining this correlation were incidence
of invasive species, inorganic pollution, SST anomalies, and chlorophyll-a
anomalies.
08/0633
Recovery of benthic nematode assemblages after a major collapse of Zostera
noltii seagrass beds.
Patrick Materatski
1
, Anna-Maria Vafeiadou
2
, Marleen De Troch
2
, Tom Moens
2
,
Helena Adão
1
1
Biology Dep., Univ. Evora / IMAR - Inst. Marine Research, Évora, Portugal,
2
Ghent
University, Marine Biology Section, Ghent, Belgium
Abstract
During 2008, Zostera noltii seagrass beds of the Mira estuary (SW coast of
Portugal) suffered a total collapse, though during 2009 slight symptoms of their
recovery were already observed. This association of events, in a short period of
time, creates a rare opportunity for obtaining new knowledge concerning natural
recovery of ecosystems and habitats.
The principal goal is to analyse nematode community responses to the collapse
of seagrass beds. Through a comparison of pre- and post-impact data, nematode
assemblage recovery and resilience will be assessed. Additionally, the carbon
resources utilized by nematodes will be examined, in order to better understand
the importance of seagrass detritus as a potential resource for meiobenthic
organisms.
Significant differences were observed in the community patterns and trophic
composition of nematode assemblages before and after the Zostera collapse.
The dominant genera of the pre-collapse community were Terschellingia,
Odontophora and Linhomoeus, generally considered microbivorous and/or
deposit-feeding nematodes. Immediately after the collapse, they were replaced
by Ptycholaimus, Paracomesoma and Metachromodora, all of which are herbivores
feeding on diatoms and other microalgae.
08/0647
Benthic macrofauna of the Canadian Arctic shelf: how seafloor characteristics
may govern their biodiversity
Virginie Roy
1
, Philippe Archambault
1
, Kathleen Conlan
2
, Kim Juniper
3
1
Université du Québec à Rimouski, Canada,
2
Canadian Museum of Nature,Canada,
3
University of Victoria, Canada
Abstract
Although in the recent past regional sea surface hotspots of primary productivity
have been monitored to follow the impact of climate change on the Arctic food
webs, some studies failed in finding a link between benthic distribution patterns
and presumably hotspots of food availability. Then seabed features, because of
their relatively stable character, might be major control factors affecting benthic
biodiversity. Through the Canadian networks ArcticNet and CHONe, a habitat
topographic heterogeneity index, sediment food supply proxies (e.g., organic
carbon, pigment concentration) and various environmental variables (e.g., depth,
oxygen, particle grain size, salinity, temperature, water mass) are used to
partition macrobenthic diversity variability across the Canadian Arctic shelf.
Furthermore, distinct responses of macrobenthic epi- and infauna against
habitat heterogeneity and productivity are discussed in order to evaluate the
form and the strength of the relations in the Arctic. Because there is an urgent
need for the establishment of baseline for monitoring benthic biodiversity in this
almost last pristine area of the planet, using geophysical information as a
surrogate to describe benthic biodiversity may allow better and rapid
understanding of the potential effects of future anthropogenic disturbance and
climate-driven impacts in order to support the implementation of marine
protected areas.
41
08/0698
T
emporal patterns in macrofaunal biodiversity relative to differing scales of
b
enthic landscape structure
R
oman Zajac
1
,
Joseph Vozarik
1
1
Univ. New Haven, West Haven, CT, USA,
2
Dominion Power, Waterford, CT, USA
Abstract
T
emporal patterns in macrofaunal diversity across several benthic landscapes (~
5
0 km
2
e
ach) in Long Island Sound (LIS) along the northwest Atlantic coast were
investigated by examining seasonal changes in alpha and beta diversity
p
artitioned over several spatial scales (within patches, among patches, across
landscapes and across regions). Benthic landscape structure was determined
based side scan sonar mapping. 144 taxa were identified from 864 samples
c
ollected over two years in central and western LIS, although a variable
p
ercentage of this total was present in any particular set of seasonal samples.
A
ll diversity components exhibited temporal fluctuations. In general, alpha and
b
eta components at the patch and region level had the highest overall
c
ontributions to total richness. Smaller percentages of total richness were
explained by beta diversity at the within-patch and landscape level. However,
within-patch and landscape-scale beta diversity did make higher contributions in
periods when there were varying levels of hypoxia in deeper water portions of the
benthic landscapes in LIS. These temporal changes in the patterns of diversity
across spatial scales may also be related to seasonal changes in species life
h
istories and the longer-term interactions with disturbances such as hypoxia in
m
aintaining macrofaunal diversity over different spatial scales.
08/0736
D
iversity and food web structure of sandy beaches: Temporal and spatial
v
ariation using stable isotope analysis
L
eandro Bergamino, Diego Lercari
,
Omar Defeo
Faculty of Science - Marine Science Unit (UNDECIMAR), Montevideo, Uruguay
Abstract
W
e examined the food web structure of two sandy beaches with contrasting
m
orphodynamics (dissipative vs. reflective), using stable carbon ( 13C) and
nitrogen ( 15N) isotope analysis. Organic matter sources (POM: particulate
o
rganic matter; SOM: sediment organic matter) and consumers (zooplankton,
benthic invertebrates and fishes) were sampled seasonally in both sandy
beaches. Food sources for potential predators were quantified. Food webs
d
iffered between beaches: even though both webs were mainly supported by
P
OM, depleted 13C and 15N values for food sources and consumers were
f
ound in the dissipative system (following the reverse pattern in 13C values for
c
onsumers) for all the four seasons. Results suggest that primary consumers
u
se different organic matter sources on each beach and these differences are
propagated up in the food web. The higher productivity found in the dissipative
beach provided a significant amount of food for primary consumers. Thus, the
dissipative beach supported a more complex food web with more trophic links
and a higher number of prey and top predators than the reflective beach. We
postulate that the high degree of phytoplankton retention documented for the
d
issipative beach will result in the accumulation of POM that sustains a more
d
iverse community than the reflective beach.
0
8/0894
N
on-linear climatic gradients decouple latitudinal range from environmental
specialization
Adam Tomasovych
1
, James Valentine
2
, Kaustuv Roy
3
, Andrew Krug
1
, David
J
ablonski
1
,
Sarah Berke
1
1
University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA,
2
University of California, Berkeley,
B
erkeley, California, USA,
3
U
niversity of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California,
USA
A
bstract
A latitudinal increase in seasonal environmental variation predicts broader
l
atitudinal ranges of species at high latitudes (Rapoport’s Rule), but this
prediction assumes a linear relationship between latitude and temperature.
H
owever, marine latitudinal temperature gradients are non-linear, such that the
distribution of climate-related range limits changes with latitude. Weak
temperature gradients in the tropics should increase the size of latitudinal
ranges and decrease the clustering of range limits at low latitudes. We test
whether this decoupling between latitudinal and temperature ranges applies to
marine bivalves living at shelf depths along three coastlines. In contrast to
Rapoport’s Rule, species with broad latitudinal ranges encompass smaller
temperature ranges than expected under a random range-placement model.
Latitudinal ranges are largest at low and smallest at mid-latitudes whereas the
temperature ranges contained within species’ geographic ranges peak at
intermediate latitudes. Poleward range limits cluster at latitudes with steepest
temperature, demonstrating that the rate of spatial change in climatic conditions
affects range size by setting range limits. The major trend in latitudinal range
size in marine bivalves - the opposite to that proposed by Rapoport’s Rule - is
determined by the shape of the climatic gradient that allows spatially-stable
temperatures over wide areas at low latitudes.
0
8/0929
L
atitudinal gradients in diversity: exploring patterns using the Ocean
Biogeographic Information System
Edward Vanden Berghe
1
, J. Frederick Grassle
2
, Ron O’Dor
3
1
O
cean Biogeographic Information System, New Brunswick, USA,
2
R
utgers
University, New Brunswick, USA,
3
Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada
Abstract
L
atitudinal gradients in biodiversity, with higher diversity and taxonomic richness
a
t the Equator than at the poles, are one of the best established patterns in the
distribution of biodiversity. These gradients, however, are not universally valid,
a
nd many exceptions to the rule can be identified. Also, the pattern depends on
the ranks at which the taxa are counted. Using data available through the Ocean
B
iogeographic Information System (OBIS), an exploratory analysis is done to
investigate these patterns. Apart from the sheer number of observations
available through OBIS, this system has the advantage of including data across
many different taxa, and from all regions of the world. Gradients are calculated
for all taxonomic groups with sufficient data, and on different taxonomic levels.
Measures considered are the raw number of taxa (corrected for differences in
surface area), Hurlberts’ index for species richness, and taxonomic distinctness.
For many groups, the gradients are less outspoken if counting higher taxa than
when counting species, the lowest rank considered. The results of these
calculations are discussed in the light of the different hypotheses about the
mechanisms causing the latitudinal gradients.
08/1009
Scale-dependent community recovery from massive disturbance
Christine Holdredge
, Brian Silliman
University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
Abstract
Disturbances generating massive die offs are now common and prompt recovery
dominated by remnant patch, rather than open gap, dynamics. Whether
communities can recover and, if so, which factors mediate recolonization remain
unresolved. We evaluated recolonization dynamics of salt marshes that
experienced extensive, drought-induced die off of the foundation species Spartina
alterniflora. Die off marsh surveys showed little seedling recruitment but
persistence of Spartina particularly in large, rather than small, remnant patches.
Given this patch size variation, we conducted field experiments to test whether
key plant-controlling biotic (grazing and plant neighbors) and abiotic (water
limitation) factors differentially impact Spartina recolonization at large and small
patch scales. Removing grazers and neighbors from small patches prompted
higher expansion and growth of Spartina relative to controls, while adding
freshwater to reduce water stress had little effect. Large patches advanced
regardless of grazer or neighbor removal during a period of moderate rainfall,
but advanced further during the subsequent drought period with neighbor
removal or watering, indicating water limitation can intensify competition and
retard large patch expansion. These results suggest ecosystems may recover
from massive disturbance if they retain patches large enough to overcome biotic
inhibition and respond positively to relaxed abiotic stress.
08/1030
Phytoplankton community and environmental patterns in the Patagonian Shelf
(Argentine Sea) during spring and summer
Márcio Silva de Souza
1
, Rafael G. Araújo
1
, Carlos Rafael Mendes
2
, Virginia Maria
Garcia
1
1
Universidade Federal do Rio Grande, Rio Grande, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil,
2
Centro
de Oceanografia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
Abstract
Phytoplankton and environmental conditions were studied during austral spring
and summer periods (2007-2008) in the southern Patagonian continental shelf in
the scope of Patagonian Experiment project (PATEX). The phytoplankton
communities were analyzed by means of both microscope and HPLC techniques
(using chemo-taxonomy - CHEMTAX) and their distribution patterns were related
to physical and chemical parameters. The CHEMTAX approach showed similar
results as microscopy. There was a significant variability in the phytoplankton
community composition and biomass, according to season: diatoms (mostly
Thalassiosira spp. and Chaetoceros spp.) were the most abundant group in
spring, associated with high chlorophyll levels (3.0 to 16.3 mg m
-3
) while
coccolithophorids (almost exclusively represented by Emiliana huxleyi),
dinoflagellates and Phaeocystis antarctica composed the phytoplankton
assemblage in summertime, with low chlorophyll levels (0.3 to 1.5 mg m
-3
). The
phytoplankton distribution was related to some contrasting environmental
conditions, i.e. spring was characterized by variable mixed layer depths (15 to 60
m) and weak stratification. On the other hand, summer conditions were: lower
nutrient levels (mainly silicate, consequently low Si:N ratio), mixed layer depth
always around 37 m, and strong thermohaline stratification, which probably
favoured the coccolithophorid bloom, a known feature in the Patagonian Sea.
42
08/1047
T
he impact of human settlements on Indonesian coral reef ecosystems.
Nicole de Voogd
1
, Willem Renema
1
, Frank Wesselingh
1
, Esther Dondorp
1
, Ana
R
ita Polonia
2
,
Daniel Cleary
2
1
Netherlands Centre for Biodiversity, Naturalis, Leiden, Netherlands,
2
University
A
veiro, CESAM, Aveiro, Portugal
Abstract
C
oral reef ecosystems are increasingly subjected to multiple, interacting
stressors associated with human activities including industrial pollution and
r
esource extraction. As of present, few measures have been taken to address the
impending threat of urbanization and few studies have directly assessed how
human settlement patterns affect marine ecosystems despite the fact that
i
mportant conservation areas occur in areas of high human density. A first
c
rucial step is to study changes in the structure and composition of coral reefs
t
hrough time and relate this to changes in the coastal environment. Here we
p
resent the historical impact of human settlement on coral reef environments
a
djacent to two major conurbations in Indonesia, namely Jakarta (Java) with > 10
million inhabitants, and Makassar (Sulawesi) with > 1 million inhabitants. We will
combine data on the community composition of stony corals, sponges, large
benthic foraminifera and molluscs, with detailed assessments of environmental
data. The historical aspect of the project will focus on stony corals where we will
assess spatio-temporal variation in composition and cover. With the temporal
s
tudy, we aim to ascertain a detailed picture of variation in composition through
t
ime and space and in particular shifts in community in relation to reef
resilience.
08/1089
C
ommunity structure and small-scale spatial distribution of Arctica islandica
(
Bivalvia) in Velikaya Salma Strait (Kandalaksha Bay, the White Sea)
A
rtem Isachenko
1
,
Yana Gubanova
2
,
Alexander Tzetlin
1
,
Vadim Mokievsky
3
1
MSU, Faculty of Biology, Russian Federation,
2
MSU, Faculty of Geology, Russian
F
ederation,
3
P
.P.Shirshov Institute of Oceanology Russian Academy of Sciences,
R
ussian Federation
Abstract
Spatial distribution of high-density benthic community dominated by Arctica
i
slandica (Bivalvia) in Kandalaksha Bay (the White Sea) is analyzed in present
work. Ocean quahog inhabit upper sublittoral zone with sandy or mud bottom in
the White Sea; high-density aggregations of this semi-borrowed mollusks
a
ltered sea bed acoustic image strongly. The combination of the side-scan sonar
d
ata with the traditional benthos sampling methods provides more detailed
i
nformation for spatial distribution and community mapping rather than
q
uantitative sampling alone. To study the spatial structure and composition of
t
he community dominated by A. islandica the combination of side-scan sonar
survey and quantitative benthic sampling was implemented followed by
underwater photo image analysis for spatial aggregation of individuals.
Three different types of acoustic signal were detected on the map produced by
side-scan sonar. Each type of signal reflects combination of bottom type,
microtopography and structural characteristics of benthic community. Main
influence of the last one is caused by density of A. islandica. It allows to create a
high resolution map of A. islandica distribution using combination of qualitative
sampling and side-scan sonar. Irregularity in distribution of different sizes of A.
islandica and non-linear relationship between biomass of mollusks and the depth
w
ere evaluated.
0
8/1113
E
ffect of slicks on meroplankton distributions: the role of larval behaviour and
ecological implications
Nicolas Weidberg
1
, Carla Lobon
1
, Eva Lopez
1
, Jose Luis Acuña
1
, Lucia Garcia
2
,
M
aria del Pino Fernandez
2
,
Carlos Caceres
1
1
University of Oviedo, Oviedo, Asturias, Spain,
2
Centro de Experimentacion Pesquera,
G
ijon, Asturias, Spain
Abstract
D
uring June 2009, we studied currents, hydrography and larval distributions
around 4 surface, nearshore slicks in the Central Cantabrian Sea. The fronts
m
oved toward the coast at velocities between 2 and 10.9 cm s
-
1
a
nd accumulated
cyprid barnacle larvae, crab zoeae, gastropod veligers and ascidians in most of
t
he cases from the onshore side of the front, to impact in the coast. In general,
both fast (cyprids and zoeae: 2.2 to 6.7 cm s
-
1
) and slow larvae (veligers and
ascidian tadpoles: 0.13 to 0.15 cm s
-1
) tended to accumulate when the ratio
between their potential swimming abilities and the environmental convergence
currents presents intermediate values. Thus, slicks may represent a key process
for the biodiversity of benthic populations, by first concentrating and then
transporting larvae to the coast, but the effectiveness of this mechanism
depends on larval swimming competence.
0
8/1121
C
omparison native and non-native biodiversity in the Southern seas of Eurasia.
Tamara Shiganova
P.P.Shirshov Institute of oceanology Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russian
F
ederation
Abstract
We compare native and non-native biodiversity in the Southern seas of Eurasia
o
n the base of own and published data. Both numbers of native and non-native
s
pecies decline with salinity decrease in these seas: from species -rich
Mediterranean Sea to lower-species Black Sea and to the species-poor Azov and
C
aspian seas. High biodiversity in the Mediterranean Sea might be explained
diversity of environmental conditions, high salinity and temperature. From the
M
editerranean to the Black Sea salinity drops at 21‰, the numbers of native
and non-native species decrease both by factor of 3,5.
From the Black Sea to the Sea of Azov salinity drops at 7‰, numbers of native
species decreased by factor of 3, 4, non-native species - by factor of 3, 3. The
numbers of native species reduce by factor of 2, 5 in the Caspian Sea comparing
with the Black Sea ones, numbers of non-native species reduce by factor of 2, 6.
Thus, numbers of non-native species pro rata the numbers of native species in
the Seas of Eurasia and the recognized theory that a rich many-component
marine basin less invasible than poor diverse sea with many empty niches does
not confirmed in the this case.
09/0075
Testing M@rBis (Marine Biodiversity information system) as a useful tool for
the creation of Marine Protected Areas. Case study - Selvagens Islands.
Frederico Carvalho Dias, Estibaliz Berecibar, Inês Tojeira, Mónica Albuquerque,
Andreia Afonso, Miguel Souto, Maria Simões, Nuno Lourenço, Manuel Pinto de
Abreu
EMAM, Paço de Arcos, Portugal
Abstract
M@rBis (Marine Biodiversity Information System), is a geo-referenced marine
biodiversity information system. The main short-term objective of M@rBis is to
provide the relevant information necessary to comply with the EU and
international commitments regarding the extension of the Natura2000 Network
to the marine environment in the waters under Portuguese jurisdiction.
Furthermore, M@rBis will develop a comprehensive catalog of Portuguese
marine biodiversity and the corresponding data holders providing a valuable
reference and research tool for the scientific community.
In this talk we present the framework which lead to the creation of M@rBis,
namely the design and implementation steps. We present a test case using the
bibliography available about the Selvagens Islands (a marine and terrestrial
Natural Reserve since 1971), analise the botlenecks and constraints found
during the data acquisition, Marine Biodiversity Information System testing, and
discuss the solutions developed to solve them. The effectiveness of M@rBis, as a
decision support tool for the stake holders (ICNB) to make the best choices
regarding the creation of MPA (Marine Protected Areas) will also be discused.
09/0078
Integrating biological data with substrate and bathymetric information in MPAs
of oceanic islands
Nuno V. Álvaro
, Afonso L. Prestes, Ana I. Neto
Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental (CIIMAR) CIRN &
Departamento de Biologia, Universidade dos Açores, Ponta Delgada/ Azores,
Portugal
Abstract
Several MPAs in the Island of São Miguel (Azores, Portugal) have poor
information about the subtidal landscape and its associated biological
communities. Despite previous work on marine biotope identification, the
knowledge about such structuring factors as substrate localization and coastal
bathymetry is still poor. Project GESMAR (PCT-MAC), a consortium of Spanish
and Portuguese scientific teams, is financing further research on the biological
assemblages that occur in two MPAs in the coast of São Miguel. Data on
substrate and bathymetry was obtained using towed side scan sonar and used to
build a Digital Terrain Model. Biological data was obtained through scuba diving.
Macroalgal quadrate readings, macro invertebrate transept counts, and fish
census were used to identify species location and abundance inside the MPAs. A
community distribution chart was constructed superimposing the biological and
the terrain data. This work provides a new tool for environmental management
and opens a window for the implementation of this method in all coastal MPAs of
the Macaronesian archipelagos.
43
09/0180
I
mpact of Administrative actions on livelihood options of coastal communities
r
esiding around Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park, Wandoor, Andaman &
Nicobar Islands (India)
M
ani Saxena
1
,
Alok Saxena
2
1
I
ndividual, free lancer, Port Blair, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, India,
2
D
epartment of
E
nvironment & Forests, Andaman & Nicobar Administration, Government of India,
I
ndia
Abstract
M
ahatma Gandhi Marine National Park (MGMNP), Andaman & Nicobar Islands
(India) was established mainly for providing effective conservation and
management to the marine life and is an important eco-tourist site that provides
l
ivelihood opportunities to the people living around. The adjoining 11 villages
h
ave a population of about 4200. The main occupation is fishing. Tsunami that
s
truck these islands in December 2004 adversely affected tourism but gradually
t
here has been a significant increase in tourist inflow to these islands in last four
y
ears. Villagers realized the potential of ecotourism in this area and developed
two additional sites outside Park area for eco-tourism, the New Wandoor and the
Mahuadera beach. Efforts of villagers resulted in an unprecedented inflow of
tourists leading to their economic development. This not only diverted people
engaged in illegal activities in the Park area but also eased out tourist pressure
in the Marine National Park. However, in last two years, certain administrative
r
estrictions caused an adverse effect on these new opportunities to people. The
p
resent study based on analysis of perceptions of different categories of people
using questionnaire and interview methods through stratified random sampling,
suggest necessary actions needed through appropriate eco-development
measures by the Administration.
09/0256
P
lanning the sea: the effectiveness of partially protected areas
Delphine Rocklin
1
, Camille Albouy
1
, Jean-Antoine Tomasini
2
, Jean-Michel
C
ulioli
3
,
Dominique Pelletier
1
,
David Mouillot
2
1
STH - Ifremer Brest, Plouzané, France,
2
Ecolag - University Montpellier II,
M
ontpellier, France,
3
O
EC, Bonifacio, France
Abstract
C
onserving biodiversity and/or sustaining declining artisanal fisheries through
the use of multiple-use Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) is still scarce. Moreover,
t
he effectiveness of partially protected areas (PPAs) inside such a complex layout
is still overlooked partly due to a lack of data.
We used combined indicators developed from artisanal fishing data to evaluate
t
he spatio-temporal dynamics of landings in a Corsican multiple-use MPA
(
Mediterranean sea). Whereas the fleet remained stable between 2001 (after the
p
rotection reinforcement) and 2007, fishing effort significantly decreased in all
p
laces of the MPA. We found that landed biomass of fishes was maintained and
t
hat the cpue significantly increased (+44.8%) for fishers fishing near the biggest
partially protected areas, where spearfishing was prohibited since 1999. On the
contrary, elsewhere, fish landings decreased and cpue did not display significant
differences. We developed a new indicator, and showed that the gain of cpue was
mainly due to species that were highly targeted by spearfishing before the PPAs
implementation.
T
he spatial planning of this MPA showed that partially protected areas helped in
s
ustaining a declining artisanal fishery through higher cpue provision and that
this provision was not equivalent depending on the size of these PPAs.
0
9/0277
E
cosystem services provided by broad-scale marine habitats and features of
conservation importance in England’s MPA network.
Justine Saunders
1
, Steve Fletcher
2
, Roger Herbert
2
1
A
BP Marine Environmental Research, Southampton, UK,
2
B
ournemouth University,
Bournemouth, UK
Abstract
T
his paper presents an analysis of the marine ecosystem services delivered by
t
he broad-scale habitats and features of conservation importance of that will be
included in England’s new Marine Protected Area (MPA) network. A systematic
l
iterature review was undertaken to identify evidence of either beneficial
ecosystem processes or services provided by each habitat and feature. The
r
eview found that the habitats and features provide a wide range of ecosystem
services, which in turn suggests that their protection genuinely provides both
direct and indirect benefits to society. However, there was substantially more
evidence of beneficial ecosystem processes than beneficial ecosystem services
which potentially reflects the tendency to study how a habitat functions, rather
than how it contributes to human welfare. A clear research gap related to how
marine features contribute to sport and recreation, tourism, nature watching and
other non-extractive activities. This study is significant as it identified, for the
first time, the extent of the evidence base for ecosystem services provided by the
marine environment within England’s MPA network. The next phase of work aims
to assess how these habitats, and the ecosystem services provided by them,
might change under different protection measures.
0
9/0358
B
alancing the interests of local fishing communities and biodiversity
conservation in the zoning of a network of protected areas in the global center
o
f marine biodiversity
S
angeeta Mangubhai
1
,
Joanne Wilson
1
,
Hedley Grantham
2
,
et al.
1
The Nature Conservancy, Indonesia Marine Program, Bali, Indonesia,
2
University of
Q
ueensland, Australia, et al.
Abstract
R
aja Ampat, Eastern Indonesia, is the most biodiverse marine region in the
world. Rapidly expanding fisheries, tourism, oil/gas extraction and coastal
d
evelopment could have negative impacts on the region’s biodiversity, as well as
impacts on local Papuan communities that rely on marine resources for food and
l
ivelihoods. Zoning of a network of six marine protected areas (MPAs) requires
balancing competing human-uses and biodiversity conservation, while
maintaining ecosystem functions operating within and across the MPA network.
Decisions on the placement of zones within MPAs requires detailed knowledge of
local scale patterns of resource use and socioeconomic constraints, which are
traditionally overlooked or considered secondary to biodiversity protection. We
developed both biological and socioeconomic criteria for zoning the MPA
network, and a decision support system (‘Marxan with Zones’) and zoning
approach that enabled stakeholders to explore different zoning configurations to
achieve multiple objectives for conservation, local community fisheries and other
human-uses. Biological and socioeconomic data from a 5-year ecosystem-based
management program were incorporated into the analyses. The results of this
project are presented, as a model for demonstrating how to address trade-offs
between conflicting objectives and how to incorporate feedback from
conservation practitioners and stakeholders in conservation planning and
natural resource management.
09/0431
Designing effective MPA networks: considerations of Cetacean ncMPAs in
assisting ecological coherence and connectivity in Scottish waters
Michael Tetley
, Sarah Dolman, Mark Simmonds, Erich Hoyt
Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS), Nationwide, UK
Abstract
For MPAs to meet their conservation objectives they must be part of a cohesive
and ecologically coherent network. The interpretation of what defines an
effective network is often subjective and constrained by non-ecologically relevant
socio-economic factors. Scotland, through the Marine Scotland Act 2010, was
granted powers to designate new nature conservation MPAs (ncMPAs) to achieve
adequate completion of a National, UK and wider EU network. Mobile species
(e.g. cetaceans) are important components of this network, yet the conservation
objectives of such are often opposed to those of industry and certain government
aims. Connectivity Analyses of the current network components (e.g. SPAs,
SACs, SSSIs and ASSIs), cetacean critical habitat and broad-scale environmental
features, were conducted to determine the suitability of cetacean ncMPAs in
achieving cohesion and coherence in Scottish waters. Results showed good
representation of internationally accepted MPA designation principles within the
Scottish national guidance. Resulting ncMPAs identified for cetaceans could help
to develop and ensure a cohesive and ecologically coherent network. Finally,
after an initial risk-assessment of socio-economic data, we predict that the
relative overlap and impact upon and by current sectorial activities would be low,
assuming that any necessary future management measures were adequately
implemented and regulated
09/0506
An assessment of ecosystem threat status and protection levels for South
African marine habitats
Kerry Sink
1
, Stephen Holness
2
, Linda Harris
2
, Amanda Lombard
2
, Tamryn
Robinson
1
, Mandy Driver
1
, Cloverley Lawrence
1
et al.
1
South African National Biodiversity Institute, South Africa,
2
Nelson Mandela
Metropolitan University, Port elizabeth, South Africa, et al.
Abstract
Many countries are grappling with the challenge of broadening biodiversity
assessments to include habitats or ecological communities as well as species.
South Africa used a data driven systematic approach to assess ecosystem threat
status and protection levels for 136 coastal and marine habitats. A national
habitat classification and benthic and pelagic habitat maps were produced. A
total of 27 pressures were mapped and an ecosystem-pressure matrix was
developed to assess the relative impact of each pressure on each ecosystem.
These data were used to evaluate site condition. By assessing areas with
different conditions relative to biodiversity thresholds, ecosystem status was
determined. A total of 64 ecosystems (47%) were considered threatened. Further
spatial analyses were used to assess the representation of all habitats in South
Africa’s Marine Protected Area network. Forty percent of ecosystems had zero
protection and only 6% of ecosystems were considered well protected. Patterns
in threat status and protection levels between the coastal and offshore
environment, broad ecosystem types and different habitats were examined. The
assessment identified research priorities to address data gaps that limit our
ability to assess biodiversity. The top ten priority actions for the conservation of
coastal and marine biodiversity in South Africa were identified.
44
09/0550
F
requent locations of oceanic fronts as an indicator of pelagic diversity:
a
pplication to MPAs and renewables
P
eter Miller
Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Devon, UK
Abstract
W
e have studied the distribution of oceanic fronts observed by satellite as a proxy
f
or enhanced pelagic biodiversity. These maps can then be applied to assist in
the designation of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), fisheries management, and
s
ite selection for marine renewable energy installations (MREIs). It is already
known that frequent front zones are associated with higher abundance and
diversity of phytoplankton, zooplankton, certain pelagic fish and megafauna such
a
s cetaceans and basking sharks. A 10-year time-series (30,000 satellite images)
w
as processed and aggregated to generate a front climatology of the UK
c
ontinental shelf, indicating the regions where strong fronts are most frequently
o
bserved during each season. A UK government (Defra) project is using these
r
esults to advise the selection of potential MPAs.
T
he excellent spatial and temporal coverage of satellite data suggest important
a
pplications for the marine renewable industry. The site selection procedure for
potential MREIs could exploit frontal indicators as a cost-effective initial risk
assessment of biodiversity impact. This may also contribute to the environmental
impact assessment, by estimating the likely abundance and distribution of key
species known to inhabit the area. This research is based on the composite front
map approach (Miller, 2009).
09/0652
M
anaging Marine Reserves – What’s the Point?
Nic Bax
C
SIRO Wealth from Oceans Flagship, Hobart Tasmania, Australia
Abstract
M
arine reserves are being progressively established around the world.
M
onitoring their success (or lack thereof) is an obligation of sound management
b
ut one that can be neglected in the frequently divisive negotiations required to
get reserves of suitable size and position established. Monitoring requires
s
pecific and measureable objectives, defined indicators, reference points and,
ideally an agreed plan of action for when reference points are crossed. Objectives
in developing marine reserves are often broad-scale and optimistic, representing
a
s much a communication tool as something against which progress can be
m
easured. Where there are specific measurable objectives (eg. 30% set-aside),
t
hey are often not based on rigorous science. This lack of clear and measurable
o
bjectives in the design stage complicates deriving measurable objectives for
m
anagement. Meanwhile scientists can measure (often only a few) highly
selective attributes of the marine environment, which are often proposed as
indicators, while lacking a clear link to defined objectives. We provide examples
illustrating the above and discuss some options for developing measurable
management objectives. Most of all we hope to generate discussion on this
increasingly important topic.
0
9/0668
I
nfluence of Coastal Resource Use on Past, Present and Future Ecosystem Stat
es of the Taputeranga Marine Reserve, New Zealand
Tyler Eddy
, Jonathan Gardner
V
ictoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
Abstract
The Taputeranga MR, located on the south coast of the capital city of Wellington,
N
ew Zealand was implemented in 2008 and protects 854 ha. Commercial,
r
ecreational and traditional fisheries are important in this region and have been
documented over the last 70 years and it has been estimated that lobster
b
iomass is now approximately one quarter of its former state. I have used an
ecosystem-based modeling approach to analyse food web linkages for the
T
aputeranga MR at present time for comparison to historic and future ecosystem
states. Construction of an Ecopath with Ecosim (EwE) model involved collection
of biomass data for all species of marine organisms found in the Taputeranga
MR from a variety of sources. The role of lobster within the ecosystem has
changed from historic times to present as it previously had a much higher
keystone role (organizing of other speices) within the ecosystem than it currently
experiences and its diet is predicted to have been more herbivorous in historic
times. My results indicate that the Taputeranga MR that is now in place is
capable of restoring the future ecosystem to a state more similar to that
observed during historic times.
0
9/0686
T
ools for biodiversity conservation in the State Marine Park Laje de Santos,
São Paulo - Brazil.
Carla Isobel Elliff
1
, Iara Mineiro Scricco
2
, Samantha Okubo da Silva Mascaretti
O
rtiz
2
,
José Edimilson de Araujo Mello Junior
2
,
Marcos Burher Campolim
2
1
Instituto de Pesca de São Paulo, Brazil,
2
Fundação Florestal,Brazil
Abstract
T
he State Marine Park Laje de Santos (SMPLS) is the first state marine park in
S
ão Paulo, created in 1993. According to the National System of Conservation
Units, the SMPLS has integral protection. In 2008, a perimeter around it received
h
igher protection status as a Marine Protection Area, which allows only
sustainable use.
In the SMPLS, the authorized activities are visitations for environmental
e
ducation, research and contemplative diving. Fishing activities are prohibited,
but data indicate that several boats have been seen fishing in the area.
There are close to 4,000 divers of 6 diving companies per year visiting the
SMPLS. Each diving company has an accredited environmental monitor that
registers environmental occurrences. This location is considered one of the best
for diving in Brazil.
The SMPLS is home to hundreds of species of fish, molluscs, crustaceans and
corals. Among the visiting species, there are sea turtles, sharks, manta rays,
dolphins, whales, etc.
The creation of protected marine areas is extremely important for the
conservation of endangered species and ecosystems. Thus, creating the SMPLS,
adding a surrounding protection area and ordering public visitation have become
important tools for biodiversity and richness conservation in this environment,
allowing sustainable use of the region.
09/0703
Unexpected Marine biodiversity hotspots in the Western Mediterranean
Josep Maria Gili
1
, Jordi Grinyó
1
, Carlos Dominguez
1
, Teresa Madurell
1
, Pablo
López
2
, Mikel Zabala
3
, Ariadna Purroy
1
, Andrea Gori
1
, Stefano Ambroso
1
, Enrique
Isla
1
, Lorenzo-Ángela Bramanti-Martínez
1
, et al
1
Institut de Ciènceis del Mar (CSIC),Spain,
2
Universidad de Sevilla, Spain,
3
Universitat
de Barcelona, Spain, et al.
Abstract
The increasing interest in marine protected areas applying a holistic ecosystem
approach has expanded beyond the littoral zone. In order to sustainably manage
coastal marine reserves, the entire continental shelf and upper slope should be
protected. Recent findings in cold-water corals have influenced the Natura 2000
Network program, which is creating a European network of offshore marine
protected areas for the first time. In this context, our discovery of well-preserved
and highly diverse communities in the Menorca-Mallorca channel is of special
significance to marine conservation. This unexpected discovery can be attributed
to the practices of a small artisanal fishing fleet, which self-regulates its own
fishing activity, demonstrating that a more respectful exploitation approach to
marine resources is feasible and economically profitable. This area is of high
ecological and evolutionary interests because it constitutes the only known
example of pristine Mediterranean shelf communities. Moreover, we have found
a possible Tethyan relict species, which supports the idea that the Mediterranean
Sea played a dual role in the present biodiversity scenario, acting as a potential
link between the ancient Indopacific Ocean and the incipient Atlantic Ocean, as
well as a potential radiation centre towards the North Atlantic. Both hypotheses
should be considered.
09/0712
Delivery of UK MPA networks - is the legislation working?
Jean-Luc Solandt
, Sandy Luk, Melissa Moore, Tom Appleby
Marine Conservation Society, Ross on Wye, UK
Abstract
The development of national and European MPA networks is a relatively new
initiative for many UK marine stakeholders to accept. Since the mid 1990s, The
European Commission and UK government have embarked on a path to deliver
networks of MPAs to protect outstanding examples of broadscale habitats and
species, and rare or threatened marine features. Conceptualising and delivering
protected areas at sea compared to on land is more difficult because of lack of
knowledge of the science, empathy for subtidal biodiversity, poor monitoring,
and the practicalities of enforcement. Given these limitations, how is the
development of MPA networks progressing in UK and Europe? What is the
difference between the legislation as written and management on the ground? Is
there a similar schism between other legislation and delivery, and is a literal
interpretation of marine conservation law practical? The talk will be illustrated
with case studies of voluntary and statutory protection measures the MCS been
involved in, their successes and failures.
45
09/0713
R
econciling community and ecological objectives in a Hebridean coastal
c
onflict: the case of Barra, the East Mingulay SAC and Lophelia.
T
avis Potts
Scottish Association for Marine Science, Oban, Argyll, UK
Abstract
T
his paper explores the history, dynamics and potential future of a community
c
onflict that has formed around the designation of a marine special area of
conservation in East Mangulay. The designation, approved for consultation by the
S
cottish Government, aims to designate and protect the cold water coral,
Lophelia pertusa under the auspices of the EU Habitats Directive. This conflict
has simmered for the better part of a decade, and has resulted in the formation
o
f a community opposition group, Southern Hebrides Against Marine
E
nvironmental Designations (SHAMED). The group, which claims to have local
s
upport, opposes conservation designations on the basis that it will remove the
p
otential for future community development.
T
his paper will consider the conflict through two lenses. The first is that of the
r
elationship between coastal communities and marine conservation legislation,
p
articularly through the recent evolution in Scottish and UK marine planning.
The second lens will explore the issue from the perspective of biodiversity
conservation for Lophelia sp. across the NE Atlantic region, considering scales
and policy effectiveness.
09/0730
A
network of spatial protection measures for the North Sea
Thomas Rammelt
1
1
N
orth Sea Foundation, Utrecht, Netherlands,
2
V
ereniging voor Milieurecht, Utrecht,
Netherlands
Abstract
N
ature protection of the North Sea should be representative for the species,
h
abitats and ecological processes that characterize the ecosystem of the North
Sea, while taking into account the scale of the open ecosystem. Unfortunately,
N
atura 2000 will not lead to a coherent and representative protection of the
North Sea. This is reason why additional protection measures are needed to form
an integral network of spatial protection measures that is coherent and
r
epresentative. Besides (1) qualifying Natura 2000 sites, elements of such a
n
etwork are: (2) OSPAR Marine Protected Areas; (3) generic protection measures
f
or e.g. highly mobile sea mammal and sea bird species; (4) buffer zones
(
comparable to IUCN IV-VI management zones) around and between Natura 2000
a
nd OSPAR sites to safeguard the coherence and representativity of the ‘core’
Natura 2000 and OSPAR MPA sites and as Best Environmental Practice Zones for
e.g. innovative fishery techniques; and (5) de facto nature protection as a result
of, e.g., Common Fishery Policy closures of areas or safety zones around
windturbines. The North Sea countries should make these five complementary
elements of marine nature protection the constituting parts of the ‘spatial
p
rotection measures’, as required by the Marine Framework Directive.
0
9/0797
A
ssessment and integration of a stakeholder driven and a science-based
approach in the prioritization of marine protected areas
Ana Ruiz-Frau
, Michel Kaiser, Gareth Edwards-Jones
B
angor University, Bangor, UK
Abstract
The present study aimed to assess, compare and integrate two different
a
pproaches to the planning process of marine protected areas (MPAs) in Wales
(
UK). A stakeholder-based approach and a science-based systematic approach
were compared. Stakeholder priorities for the establishment of MPAs were
i
dentified during individual interviews with relevant stakeholders’
representatives. Science-based solutions were developed using biological and
s
ocioeconomic spatial data in the decision support tool Marxan. The comparison
of approaches revealed that although the spatial configuration of the resulting
MPAs differed, stakeholders performed well at including representative
proportions of relevant marine habitats and species. The extent of stakeholders’
knowledge of their surrounding marine environment was identified as a key
factor in the quality of their decisions. The integration of the stakeholder driven
approach with the science-based solution revealed that an integrated approach
could be used as a tool to achieve conservation targets while simultaneously
accounting for stakeholder’s preferences, as the resulting integrated solution
met all conservation targets and was only slightly bigger than the science-based
solution alone. Results also revealed the potential utility of using stakeholders’
knowledge as a proxy for identifying ecologically important areas when spatial
data on conservation features is sparse.
0
9/0799
F
ishers’ attitudes to participating in Marine Protected Area (MPA) planning
procedures in Scotland.
Rebecca Lowe
, Cristina Pita, Marie Dare
U
niversity of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
Abstract
Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are gaining increasing support as a tool for
f
isheries management and marine ecosystem conservation despite the
c
ontroversy that surrounds them. In response to national and international
agreements to create networks of MPAs, Scotland has developed the Scottish
M
PA project. Albeit, the ultimate goal of this project is for marine conservation,
socio-economic factors may also be taken into consideration when deciding the
l
ocation of these MPAs. Fishers’ participation in the MPA planning process is
considered to be fundamental since it can improve the legitimacy of the process
and compliance with regulations, thereby improving the overall success of the
MPA in meeting its conservation objectives. The present document investigates
commercial fishers’ views about their participation in the MPA planning
procedures in Scotland. In order to do this, a survey was conducted, through
face-to-face interviews. Mostly, fishers perceive not to be involved in the MPA
process or in the fisheries management process in general. It is apparent from
the intentions of the Scottish Government that fishers’ participation in the
Scottish MPA project is necessary. It was also noted that the key influential factor
on fishers’ willingness to participate in the planning of MPAs in the future was
past involvement in fisheries management. The participation of fisheries
stakeholders needs to increase in order to facilitate a multidisciplinary approach
to MPA planning and implementation in order to promote co-operation,
acceptability and compliance.
09/0819
Global first network of MPAs in the High Seas of the North-East Atlantic
Henning von Nordheim
, Tim Packeiser
German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation, D - 18581 Putbus/Rügen Germany,
Germany
Abstract
The World Summit of Sustainable Development/WSSD in 2002, recommended to
establish a worldwide representative network of protected areas by 2012,
including MPAs.
In September 2010 OSPAR agreed on a Network of MPAs consisting of 159 sites
collectively covering 147322 km² in the North-East Atlantic.
With the aim to extend the Network of MPAs to the Wider Atlantic Region which
makes up about 40 % of the OSPAR maritime area and as a conclusion of a
longsome process, OSPAR Ministers finally agreed in September 2010 to add to
the existing a global first network of six MPAs in the “High Seas” of the North-
East Atlantic. These cover a total of 285 000 km² and protect a series of
seamounts and sections of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR) hosting a range of
vulnerable deep-sea habitats and species.
This ground-breaking decision on ocean governance has extended the coverage
of the OSPAR Network of MPAs to about 427 000 km² or 3.1 % of the North-East
Atlantic, and might well set a precedent for other regions working towards the
WSSD goal.
The presentation will describe the selection process and give inside in current
considerations and negotiations on management of MPAs beyond national
jurisdiction.
09/0870
The risk of being small, isolated and without regulation
Simonetta Fraschetti
, Stanislao Bevilacqua, Paolo D’Ambrosio, Giuseppe
Guarnieri, Fabrizio Gianni, Nuno Sales Henriques, Antonio Terlizzi
University of Salento, Lecce, Italy
Abstract
Despite the recognition that networks of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) can
have large benefits on marine ecosystems, single, isolated MPAs are still the
rule, worldwide. In the Mediterranean Sea, MPAs proliferated since the 1960s,
but they cannot be defined as an ecological network and examples of ineffective
MPAs are still widespread. Here, we present data on a long-term monitoring (10
years) on benthic assemblages and large-scale mapping of habitats and
potential human threats of the Tremiti Islands Archipelago, a small MPA far from
mainland (South-Adriatic, Italy). Analyses show no evidences of protection (e.g.
increasing assemblage diversity) through time. A barren composed solely by
bare rock and patches of crustose coralline characterizes the fully protected
area. No sign of recovery and low temporal fluctuations are detectable in benthic
assemblages more than 20 years after the MPA institution. Controls show a
significant higher number of taxa and well-developed algal canopies. Spatial
analysis of habitats and human pressures, within the MPA, revealed strong
conflicts, reinforcing the idea that protecting isolated remote islands can be
conducive to a combination of ecological and socio-economic drawbacks
negatively affecting protection effectiveness
46
09/0883
F
rom the Mediterranean to the North Sea: understanding the ecological effects
o
f marine reserve protection
P
hillip Fenberg
1
,
Kirsten Grorud-Colvert
1
,
Sarah Lester
2
,
Michaela Clemence
2
,
J
en Ashworth
3
,
Steve Gaines
2
1
O
regon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA,
2
U
niversity of California, Santa Barbara,
S
anta Barbara, CA, USA,
3
N
atural England, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, UK
Abstract
Various EU-wide policy directives and national legislation have recently been
e
stablished to advance marine conservation by increasing the number of marine
protected areas (MPAs). To address whether existing MPAs have had positive
effects on species, populations and habitats, we synthesized the latest scientific
i
nformation about no-take marine reserves in the EU and their effects on
o
rganisms living within and outside their boundaries. We focus on no-take
m
arine reserves because they represent the highest level of area-based
p
rotection and therefore should indicate the upper range of ecological
r
esponses. A literature review and meta-analysis of reserve effects covering a
20-year time span reveals that on average, significant increases in biomass
(251%), density (121%), body size (13%) and species diversity (19%) occur with
protection inside European reserves. The results of this study are in agreement
with a similar meta-analysis of global reserve effects, suggesting that marine
reserves in Europe have positive biological effects similar to those found in
m
arine reserves around the world. We use case studies to illustrate these
e
ffects of protection across Europe for a variety of species and habitats. In
addition, we discuss the geographic distribution of marine reserves across
Europe, highlighting differences across southern and northern European waters.
09/0900
S
tatus of Coastal Biodiversity and Conservation In Maharashtra (West Coast of
I
ndia)
B
alasaheb Kulkarni
1
,
Atul Babar
1
,
Ashok Jaiswar
2
,
Uday Mane
3
1
The Institute of Science, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India,
2
Central Institute of Fisheries
E
ducation, Versova,, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India,
3
M
arine Research Laboratory, Dr.
B
.A. Marathwada University, Ratnagiri, Maharashtra, India
Abstract
Maharashtra, located on west coast of India, is endowed with a coastline of 720
K
m and 1,11,512 sq. km of continental shelf. Coastal part of Maharashtra is
mainly called as Kokan region. Mumbai Thane, Ratnagiri, Raigad and Sindhudurg
districts are located on coast of Maharashtra. Among the districts Mumbai and
T
hane are heavily industrialized and urbanized. Therefore coastal biodiversity in
a
nd around Mumbai and Thane is under deterioration. At other parts of Kokan
a
rea biodiversity is relatively safe and rich. The Institute Science, Mumbai,
N
ational Institute of Oceanography Goa, Central Institute of Fisheries Education,
M
umbai and Marine Research Laboratory Ratnagiri of Dr. B.A. Marathwada
University are the institutions engaged in census of coastal life in Maharashtra.
However, due to lack of communication in between these institutions, still many
gaps exist regarding the census. Till now diversity of macro benthos like
crustaceans, annelid molluscs, and echinoderm have been assessed partially.
Fishermen and common people of the coastal districts are not aware of
i
mportance of coastal biodiversity and conservation. Therefore, fishermen
d
estroy plenty of non-edible coastal fauna. The paper reviews thoroughly the
work done till now on census of coastal life in Maharashtra and suggest
measures for its protection and conservation.
0
9/0978
C
onnectivity in the marine benthos: consideration of location-specific factors
and biological variation
Katherine Nisbet
, Leonie Robinson, Chris Frid, Phillip Watts, Matthew Spencer
U
niversity of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
Abstract
Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), and particularly networks of MPAs, are
i
ncreasingly being heralded as an effective tool for management and
c
onservation of marine systems. A key benefit of the designation of such
networks is to provide protection to representative habitats while maintaining
c
onnectivity between them. However, given its inherent complexity, there is
difficulty in measuring connectivity. Larval dispersal is considered a main driver
o
f population connectivity, particularly for species that are less motile or sessile
as adults. Using planktonic larval duration (PLD) as means of inferring larval
dispersal, the variation in dispersal potential of species can be explored. Thus
we determined the variation in PLDs across 102 taxa from a representative
epifaunal benthic assemblage from UK shelf seas. By using these PLD
estimates to run dispersal scenarios using particle tracking software, the effects
of local hydrographic regime, habitat preferences and assemblage structure on
assemblage-wide dispersal can be determined. Initial results demonstrate the
importance of considering both location-specific physical factors, and biological
variation within habitats when determining connectivity for MPA designation
purposes.
0
9/0981
L
arge-scale patterns of marine biodiversity: an evidence-based approach for
prioritising areas for protection
Olivia Langmead
1
, Emma Jackson
1
, Andy Foggo
2
, Kirsten Ramsey
3
, Paul Brazier
3
,
D
an Lear
1
,
Charly Griffiths
1
,
Phil Wilkes
1
1
Marine Life Information Network (MarLIN), Marine Biological Association, UK,
2
M
arine Institute, University of Plymouth, UK,
3
3
Countryside Council for Wales, UK
Abstract
M
PAs are a valuable tool to protect rare and threatened species and the integrity
and functioning of habitats, and the sustained delivery of their ecosystem
s
ervices that benefit our society. The UK is committed to the establishment of a
network of marine protected areas (MPAs) under international conventions and
a
s part of achieving good environmental status (Marine Strategy Framework
Directive). Here we review of approaches to identify large-scale patterns in
marine biodiversity and conduct an analysis of diversity of benthic species and
habitats in UK waters to inform the selection of MPAs. The greatest challenge to
overcome was related to the uneven coverage, sampling intensity, collection
method and quality of collated past survey data. Several measures were used,
each capturing a separate aspect of overall benthic diversity. Resulting layers
showed different patterns for each measure and also for species compared with
biotope level diversity. Data confidence underpinning the layers was derived from
1) quality criteria; 2) estimators for extrapolating species richness from limited
numbers of samples; and 3) concordance between different measures to identify
the degree of commonality of spatial pattern. Together this gives important
context for identifying persistent large scale patterns and prioritising high
biodiversity areas for protection.
09/1051
Re-defining environmental stewardship to meet marine biodiversity
conservation objectives.
Rebecca Koss
1
, Geoffrey Wescott
2
, Kelly Miller
2
1
University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK,
2
Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia
Abstract
This study explores the concept of environmental stewardship as used in global
policies for marine biodiversity conservation. The term environmental
stewardship in biodiversity conservation policies is associated with the
engagement of community groups and individuals in planning and management
processes. It is widely acknowledged that community engagement is thought to
enhance local natural area planning and management performance to meet
biodiversity conservation objectives. This research creates an Environmental
Stewardship Model and Performance Framework to enhance and fulfill the
objectives of biodiversity conservation. The Environmental Stewardship Model
and Performance Framework are social science approaches to assessing the
effectiveness of community engagement in natural area planning and
management to meet biodiversity conservation objectives. Governments and
their institutions responsible for developing natural area policies, and associated
management strategies, need to move beyond the rhetoric use of ‘feel good’
terms such as, environmental stewardship. Instead, environmental stewardship
should be one of the indicators to evaluate marine area performance to achieve
biodiversity conservation efforts.
09/1055
Increasing marine conservation effectiveness through a regional approach
based on biological, ecological and cultural connectivity.
Colleen Corrigan
United Nations Environment Programme’s World Conservation Monitoring Centre,
Cambridge, UK
Abstract
As technical capacities to access, research, and monitor high seas improves, so
does our knowledge about best practices in protecting and effectively managing
nearshore marine environments. In addition, we underestimate the contribution
of indigenous peoples and local communities who can provide lessons from their
customary practices in governing marine managed and protected areas as well
as important socio-economic considerations that can be beneficial to high seas
MPAs. There is a great need to begin synthesizing lessons learned from the
processes that oversee over 5000 existing marine protected areas around the
world so that we can adapt and apply these lessons across the oceans. This
presentation will explore collective years of rich experience in designing,
planning and implementing MPAs to help increase the efficiency toward which
we plan and implement large-scale marine protection. Insights will be shared
from a Pacific mapping project that reviews large-scale connectivity across
political boundaries, bringing together the biological processes and species-
specific migratory routes that extend from near-shore areas to the high
seas. This regional perspective is shared as an example of how data-gathering
and mapping processes can underpin policy frameworks for increasing and
connecting existing conservation measures both within and beyond jurisdictional
areas.
47
09/1061
T
he public voice for the sea: taking account of traditionally excluded
s
takeholders in the MPA debate
S
usan Ranger
,
Calum Duncan, Peter Richardson, Jean-Luc Solandt, Chris Wood
Marine Conservation Society (MCS), Ross on Wye, Herefords, UK
Abstract
T
raditionally, where stakeholders have been involved in the process of selecting
M
arine Protected Areas, those involved usually represent extractive sea-user
groups, marine industries, recreational sea user-groups and conservation
i
nterest groups. The views and motivations of the wider public are not usually
taken into account. The UK government is currently running a stakeholder-led
process, across four geographical regions, to identify a network of Marine
C
onservation Zones in England. The Marine Conservation Society (MCS), as the
n
ational NGO for the sea, is among the ‘conservation’ interest groups
r
epresented in this process. As a membership organisation, MCS also represents
a
broad public constituency and has developed a unique tool to bring the public
v
oice into the MPA debate. Over 18,500 votes have been gathered through the
Your Seas Your Voice (www.yourseasyourvoice.com) website, which allows people
to vote for or against sites MCS has recommended or nominate additional sites
for protection. The website also captures data about voters and their motivations.
The majority of voters using the site identify themselves as ‘recreational sea
users’. In this paper we will describe the results of this 21 month project and
r
eflect on the challenges of including the ‘public’ voice in the MPA debate.
09/1086
S
eabirds, protected areas, and marine spatial planning.
Julie Black
, Linda Wilson, Sue O’Brien, Kerstin Kober, Jim Reid
J
oint Nature Conservation Committee, Aberdeen, UK
Abstract
T
he Joint Nature Conservation Committee play a key role in marine nature
c
onservation within the UK. We advise the UK governments to help them meet
m
arine conservation commitments such as the Marine Strategy Framework
Directive and the Habitats and Birds Directives. The Marine SPA teams main role
i
s to identify important areas for various species of seabird, both during breeding
and winter seasons, around UK waters, and ultimately to advise on protected
area designation. In order to inform marine conservation of seabirds, and marine
s
patial planning, we need spatially explicit information about species
d
istributions and densities. Such information is not widely available and is
r
esource intensive to collect on a large scale. This presentation summarises
s
ome of the work we have been undertaking to map species distributions or
d
ensities, providing examples and case studies, and discussing pros and cons of
each approach.
0
9/1133
S
argassum forests: their role in the spatial planning and evaluation of the
effectiveness of MPAs in the Gulf of California, México
Alvin Noé Suárez Castillo
1
, Rafael Riosmena Rodríguez
1
, Jorge Torre Cosio
2
,
M
ario Rojo Anaya
2
e
t al.
1
Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Sur, Mexico,
2
Comunidad y
B
iodiversidad,Mexico,et al.
Abstract
T
he extensive forests that forming the brown seaweed Sargassum has been
recognized as one of main marine ecosystems of the Gulf of California (GC).
T
hese forests were considered as a conservation target and incorporated into the
San Pedro Martir Island Biosphere Reserve through the development of the
b
aseline and monitoring database of their areas, algae dynamics and biodiversity
associated. We are interest in this common ecosystem because might be used to
spatial planning and evaluation of management effectiveness of MPAs. Our
database suggest that Sargassum forest are spatial and temporally different from
other rocky reef areas becasue the differences in seaweed assemblages and the
high abundance/richness of invertebrates and fish species when is present.
Interviews with the local fisherman community have show that this habitat is
critical for the development of fishing resources or any protected status and loss
habitat in some sites of the fishery region. Healthy and widely spreads of
Sargassum forest will enhance fisheries productivity, protect the biodiversity and
promote the fixation of CO
2
in coastal zone. On the other hand, could be
cosidered as the conservation target of great importante to obtain funds for
optimun reserve operations in long term of this or other MPAs.
0
9/1155
P
rotection of Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems on the High Seas: Progress and
Challanges in Implemnation of the 2006 UNGA Resolution 61/105
Elizabethann English
N
OAA Fisheries, Silver Spring, MD, USA
Abstract
The United States has been an international leader for the protection of
v
ulnerable marine ecosystems (VMEs) on the high seas, such as cold water
c
orals and deep sea sponges, at global fora such as the United Nations General
Assembly and the Food and Agriculture Organization. In 2006, by consensus,
U
NGA agreed to strong measures for the protection of VMEs, including
identifying their location, assessing whether bottom fishing activities would have
s
ignificant adverse impacts (SAI) on VMEs, closing areas to bottom fishing until
measures are in place to prevent SAI to known or likely VMEs, and ceasing
bottom fishing when a VME is encountered, so that appropriate measures can be
adopted in respect of the relevant site. The 2009 UNGA sustainable fisheries
resolution 64/72 reviewed progress to date on implantation of 61/105 and
recognized that while significant progress had been made further actions are
still required.
This presentation will discuss protection of VMEs on the high seas by States,
focusing on actions by Flag States and RFMOs, and other relevant measures to
protect VMEs, including the establishment of high seas closed fishing areas. It
will examine the successes, challenges and the gaps in implementation to-date
and offer recommendations for further actions.
09/1195
Oil spill pollution monitoring, bioremediation and threats to marine life: three
case studies in Italian MPAs
I Corsi
, G Perra, M Peppi, S Bonacci, K Pozo, C Guerranti, V Volpi, S Focardi
University of Siena, Siena, Italy
Abstract
Recognition of the threat posed by human activities to marine environments has
led to increased conservation efforts. Marine protected areas (MPAs) are a
relatively new concept in the repertoire of marine resource management.
Recently, several studies have reported transboundary movements of
hydrocarbons into Italian marine waters including MPAs but little is known on
how MPAs may be vulnerable to them. Three case studies will address oil
pollution spread in Italian MPAs by using marine sediments, hydrocarbon-
degrading bacteria and biological responses in sentinel species. Levels of PAHs
and other pollutants in sediments from 15 Italian MPAs resulted probably related
to local sources due to uncontrolled traffic of tourist activities and urban water
sewage sludge as well atmospheric deposition. The presence of hydrocarbon-
degrading bacteria in the marine reserve of Tuscan Archiopelago MPA suggest
that hydrocarbon contamination might represent a serious problem affecting
Italian MPAs. Selective biological responses to hydrocarbons in sentinel marine
species of the Egadi Islands MPA confirm the exposure to selected PAHs in
harbour and urban areas. The overall proposed ecotoxicological approach based
on chemical, microbological and biological responses analyses has the potential
for becoming a diagnostic tool for monitoring and assessment oil pollution
spread in MPAs.
09/1196
Marine Biodiversity Research in Timor Leste - Research for Conservation,
Sustainability and Human Development
Karen Edyvane
1
, et al.
1
Northern Territory Government, Casuarina, Australia, et al.
Abstract
The maritime estate of the world’s newest sovereign nation, Timor-Leste, is situated
just 500 km offshore from Australia, within a region of globally-significant tropical
marine biodiversity. Struggling from decades of political instability, it is also among
the 20 poorest countries in the world, with some of highest levels of population
growth, infant mortality, malnutrition, unemployment, illiteracy and food insecurity
in the South East Asia. With approximately 94% of coastal communities highly
dependent on coastal resources - knowledge of the distribution, nature and
ecological condition of coastal and marine biodiversity and resources is critical to
underpin future conservation and sustainable economic development.
With this significant science, sustainability and human development challenge, the
Timor Leste Government funded a major multi-disciplinary, coastal-marine
research and training partnership program in 2006 with researchers from Australia,
particularly the Northern Territory. Research activities included: broad-scale,
coastal and marine surveys and habitat mapping (at a scale of 1:100,000); Marine
Protected Area planning; systematic marine megafauna surveys; fisheries
development and the identification of coastal-marine ecotourism values. Research
has revealed limited, over-exploited, relatively ‘intact’ fringing coral reefs, and
ongoing and significant (~80%) loss of mangrove habitat. However, the research has
also confirmed Timor Leste’s waters as a globally-significant migratory corridor for
marine wildlife, and also, identified key coastal-marine biodiversity, natural heritage
and cultural values for conservation and potential alternative livelihood
development.
48
10/0107
P
redicting conservation reference points and species vulnerability with
m
inimal data to support rapid risk assessment of fishing impacts on
biodiversity and associated management tradeoffs.
W
ill Le Quesne
,
Simon Jennings
C
entre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science, Lowestoft, Suffolk, UK
Abstract
L
arge bodied species are especially vulnerable to fishing in mixed fisheries.
Their effective conservation requires predictions of sensitivity and exposure to
f
ishing mortality which are hard to make when most of these species are rare
and their population dynamics have not been described. A new method, and case
study application, for assessing species sensitivity and conservation reference
p
oints with widely available life history data is presented. The method is used to
c
onduct a risk assessment of fishing impacts on biodiversity, and to provide a
p
reliminary assessment of the extent of tradeoffs between fishery yields and
c
onservation status of all species making up the demersal fish community in a
n
orth-east Atlantic ecosystem. However the method could support rapid risk
assessment in most regions since it only requires taxonomic lists and estimates
of maximum length. In the case study assessment, given current levels of fishing
mortality all of the elasmobranchs and 27% of the teleosts are potentially at risk.
Depending on the relative mortality rates affecting commercially targeted
species and species of conservation concern, up to 65% of the potential yield of
c
ommercially important species may have to be forgone to avoid conservation
t
hresholds of all large fish.
10/0160
T
he impacts of deep-sea fishing on seamount ecosystems: the implications of
l
ow resilience of faunal communities to trawling.
M
alcolm Clark
1
,
Alan Williams
2
,
Franziska Althaus
2
,
Ashley Rowden
1
,
Mireille
C
onsalvey
1
,
David Bowden
1
e
t al.
1
N
ational Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research,New Zealand,
2
C
ommonwealth
S
cientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Australia, et al.
Abstract
Seamounts are the target of major trawl fisheries in all the world’s oceans.
C
onservation efforts are gaining momentum, motivated by the apparently unique
ecological status and vulnerability of seamount biota. Here we present results of
recent studies on the vulnerability and resilience of seamount communities to
a
nthropogenic disturbance.
Bottom trawling commonly causes severe damage to the benthos, with deep-sea
corals and associated invertebrate communities being most susceptible. Some
t
axa can survive in natural refuges inaccessible to trawls, but, most
m
egabenthos is removed, causing the loss of biogenic habitat from large areas
o
f individual seamounts. The resilience of seamount ecosystems is very low and
w
e have found no evidence that benthic assemblages recover in the short term
following fishing closures.
The low tolerance of seamount communities to human disturbance has
i
mportant implications for management of deep-sea ecosystems, where
r
esource exploitation can occur more rapidly than the acquisition of biological
d
ata to inform conservation. However, even in data-poor situations, especially in
the High Seas, the risks to deep-sea seamount diversity and function can be
a
ssessed, and priority areas for conservation identified. Networks of spatial
closures, allocated using systematic conservation planning, can be an effective
option allowing exploitation and conservation to coexist.
1
0/0190
B
ycatch Management and Reduction of Discards in State of Kuwait
Haider Ali Murad
Public Authority of Agriculture Affairs and Fish Resources, Kuwait, Kuwait
Abstract
B
ycatch to shrimp ratio in the waters of Kuwait was found to be 9:1 in a study
conducted from October 2003 to February 2004. Two types of Bycatch Reduction
D
evices (BRD) consist of Fish Eye (FE) and Square Mesh Codend (SMC) and a
T
urtle Excluder Device (TED) were tested using an industrial shrimp trawler in
Kuwait waters. Square Mesh Codend was observed as a successful device in
r
etaining shrimp catch and large size commercial fish species, which indicated a
significant reduction in the catches of small size discard species. While the TED
m
odified net showed a marginal success in reducing bycatch, the FE equipped
net significantly reduced both the shrimp catch and bycatch. The results and
recommendation of the study is shared with the fisheries authorities of Republic
of Iran and Iraq as a tripartite initiative for able conservation and sustainable
utilization of marine living resources in the Northern Arabian Gulf. Further, the
results of the study have also been compared with the bycatch status of other
GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) Arabian countries so as to depict the overall
bycatch management in the Arabian Gulf region.
1
0/0227
W
orld review of purse seine bycatches: priorities, mitigation options,
perspectives
Martin Hall
, Marlon Roman
I
nter-American Tropical Tuna Commission, La Jolla, CA, USA
Abstract
A public controversy has raised the profile of the issue of bycatches in different
t
una fisheries, and on the relative significance of the impacts they cause. The
p
urse seine fleets produce the vast majority of the world catches of tropical
tunas, and they are active in all oceans of the world. Tuna schools are captured in
s
everal types of sets: associated with floating objects, with dolphin groups, as
unassociated schools, etc. Of all those captured, some species and sizes are
r
etained, others are discarded dead (bycatch) and others are released alive. The
bycatches include undersized tunas of the main target species, tunas of other
non-target species, large pelagic bony fishes (mahi-mahi, wahoo, rainbow
runner, etc.), sharks and rays, billfishes, and a small number of sea turtles. A
world review of these bycatches was recently completed, and that allows
comparing, and placing in perspective these impacts.
Some programs are in development or execution to mitigate those impacts. The
magnitude of the impacts, their relative significance, and the more promising
avenues to mitigate them will be discussed.
10/0283
Quantifying trawling impacts on deep-sea ecosystems using ROV video and
scanning-sonar data
Maeva Gauthier
1
, Kim Juniper
1
, Rosaline R. Canessa
1
, J. Vaughn Barrie
2
, James
A. Boutillier
3
1
University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada,
2
Natural Resources Canada, Pacific
Geoscience Centre, Sidney, BC, Canada,
3
Fisheries and Oceans, Pacific Biological
Station, Nanaimo, BC, Canada
Abstract
Impacts of trawling on benthic ecosystems can vary depending on habitat types
and species present. There are few studies of trawling impacts on the diverse
soft substratum communities that cover large areas of continental shelves and
slopes. For these communities, habitat factors such as depth and bottom
roughness (geological and biological) also affect diversity and composition;
thereby confounding observation of any effects of trawling. We studied a 14km
transect along the upper continental slope off Vancouver Island, BC, Canada that
included areas of seafloor with visible trawl marks. Field data collection used
the ROV ROPOS equipped with a 3CCD video camera and a high resolution
scanning sonar. Faunal composition and abundance together with bottom
characteristic information were extracted from video imagery and assembled
using a custom-designed Access database. The same database was used to
compile information on trawl marks detected in recorded sonar imagery. We will
report on relationships between intensity of trawling and faunal abundance,
diversity and species distribution. We will also explore the impact on ecosystem
services, especially surface bioturbation by macro and mega fauna.
10/0353
Commercial species of sponges: A Treasure for the biodiversity
Joanna Castritsi-Catharios
1
, Nikolaos Neofytou
1
, George D Zouganelis
1
1
University of Athens, Greece,
2
University of Thessaly, Greece,
3
University of
Portsmouth, UK
Abstract
The interest for the status of commercial sponge fisheries is expanding due to
new biotechnological applications arising for these species. The sponge fishery
in Greece is a very old and traditional activity. However, it was seriously affected
by sponge disease which appeared in 1986 and rapidly desertified most of the
fishing grounds in the Mediterranean, while a beginning of recovery was evident
in more than a decade. With the aim to study the recovery process, specific key-
forms accompanied with a short course were designed and delivered to divers -
boat owners. The collection and recovery accounted for 21570 commercial
sponges. The area of Crete Island contributed by 62.17%, Dodekanissa complex
by 15.21%, Cyclades complex by 10%, Lakonia by 4.84%, Ionian Sea by 4.50% and
the rest of Aegean by 3.28%.The most common species was Hippospongia
communis (39.98%) and Spongia officinalis adriatica occupied the second position
(37.28%). Spongia officinalis mollissma followed (15.27%) and then Spongia
zimocca (4.36%) and Spongia lamella (3.10%). The area of Crete Island is far away
the richest area in the Hellenic territory, with a density (index of abundance) of
18.432 individuals per 1000m
2
while the second one, Dodekanissa, appears a
density of 4.510 individuals per 1000 m
2
.
49
10/0617
S
patio-temporal measures to reduce bycatch in the New England groundfish
f
ishery
D
aniel Dunn
1
,
Andre Boustany
1
,
Jason Roberts
1
,
Eric Brazer
2
,
Karen Ryder
2
,
M
elissa Sanderson
2
,
Patrick Halpin
1
1
D
uke University Marine Lab, Beaufort, NC, USA,
2
C
ape Cod Commercial Hook
F
ishermen’s Association, Chatham, MA, USA
Abstract
As ecosystem-based management approaches are employed and more fisheries
a
re managed through multi-species, multi-objective models, the management of
discards is increasing. This has been seen in the importance given to the
management of discards in recent reforms of fisheries policies by many
g
overnments. It is particularly relevant in the United States, as the deadline for
s
etting Annual Catch Limits (ACLs) in fisheries experiencing overfishing passed
i
n 2010, and in all other fisheries in 2011. These deadlines have resulted in a
d
ramatic expansion of the number of quotas that fishermen and regulators have
t
o account for. Such management measures may result in the early closure of
otherwise sustainable fisheries when bycatch quotas are exceeded. To prevent
such closures and the consequent economic hardship, it is imperative that
fishers and managers be given the tools necessary to reduce by-catch. Output
control measures (i.e. quotas) and effort-based measures cannot improve fishing
selectivity, but operational measures can. Thus, targeted spatio-temporal fishery
c
losures are one possible solution. Here, we demonstrate how spatio-temporal
a
nalyses were used to identify patterns in fishing selectivity in the New England
groundfish fishery, and how they are currently being used to reduce bycatch of
“choke” species by fishermen in that fishery.
10/0706
C
haracterization of the marines communities in the special area of
c
onservation of Juncalillo del Sur
J
ose Valdazo
,
Mª Ascesión Viera, Ricardo Haroun, Mascha Stroobant
Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Islas Canarias, Spain
Abstract
T
he Special Area of Conservation called Juncalillo del Sur (No. ZEC: 50_GC) is
l
ocated in the east area of the island of Gran Canaria (Canary Islands, Spain) and
belongs to the Network Natura 2000 (Directive 92/43/EEC). This protected area
r
epresents also a very important coastal habitat for wading and migrating birds,
for this reason it has been promoted as Special Protection Area for Birds
(Directive 79/409/EEC). The stony shore (in spanish ‘pedregal’) is the principal
e
cosystem of the coastline of this protected area. The aim of the present study is
t
o examine the marine phycological biodiversity of this protected area, to
d
escribe the plant communities and their spatial composition/distribution. The
f
loristic account showed a total of 62 species of algae (3 Cyanophyta, 33
R
hodophyta, 18 Chlorophyta and 8 Chromophyta). We’ve identified the major
algal assemblages that constitute the plant communities: crusty assemblages
(calcareous and non calcareous) dominate the upper eulittoral, the turf
assemblages (type A, type B and calcareous turf) are common on the upper
eulittoral while the foliose/frondose macroalgae characterize the lower
eulittoral. We believe that this knowledge will properly classify coastal biotopes
a
nd design strategies for conservation and sustainable management of marine
r
esources.
1
0/0737
S
ensitivity assessment as a tool for spatio-temporal management of fishing
techniques
Jochen Depestele
1
, Wouter Courtens
2
, Steven Degraer
3
, Jan Haelters
3
, Kris
H
ostens
1
,
Bea Merckx
4
,
Hans Polet
1
,
Marijn Rabaut
4
,
Eric Stienen
2
,
Sofie
Vandendriessche
1
, Magda Vincx
4
1
I
LVO, Ostend, Belgium,
2
I
NBO, Brussels, Belgium,
3
M
UMM, Brussels, Belgium,
4
Ghent University, Gent, Belgium
A
bstract
Fisheries management needs to shift towards an ecosystem approach. Equally,
e
nvironmental managers request a framework to assess anthropogenic effects
in an ecosystem perspective. The development of an appropriate tool to assess
t
he effects of different fisheries is key to assist management in its aspirations.
This study demonstrates how sensitivity assessment can be such a tool. The
ecosystem effects are assessed for two fishing techniques in the Belgian Part of
the North Sea with the same target species, namely flatfish beam trawling and
trammel netting for sole. The ecosystem is narrowed down to four major
components, namely benthic invertebrates, non-commercial fish, seabirds and
marine mammals. Intolerance of each ecosystem component to the pressures of
the fishing techniques is estimated from peer-reviewed studies and biological
traits. A sensitivity index is based on this intolerance and the recoverability of
each species after cessation of fishing disturbance. The species sensitivity index
is merged with species distribution in each quarter of the year, allowing to map
the spatio-temporal sensitivity to beam trawling and trammel netting. This tool
predicts the sensitivity of four ecosystem components and can therefore assist in
the development of an ecosystem approach to fisheries management and
support the process of marine spatial planning.
1
0/0805
G
lobal Seabird Bycatch In Longline Fisheries: a Review
Orea R J Anderson
1
, Cleo J Small
1
, Andrew Black
1
, John P Croxall
2
, Ben J
Sullivan
1
, Oliver Yates
3
1
T
he Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, UK,
2
B
irdLife International,UK,
3
BirdLife International Global Seabird Programme, Chile
Abstract
L
ongline bycatch adversely affects the conservation status of many seabirds, yet
n
o comprehensive global assessment exists. We review all longline fisheries for
which sufficient data exist. Notwithstanding all the inadequacies and
a
ssumptions therein, we estimate that ≈160,000 (and potentially >320,000)
seabirds are killed annually. Most at risk are Procellariiformes, with current
b
ycatch mortality unsustainable for some populations and species.
W
e identify bycatch reductions in a few key fisheries over the last decade.
Reductions reflect both declines in fishing effort (e.g. in illegal, unregulated and
unreported (IUU) fishing in the Southern Ocean) and more effective use of
mitigation measures - notably in demersal fisheries (e.g. CCAMLR). Despite this
progress, significant problems in other fisheries have emerged. Current
concerns include fleets with previously unidentified bycatch problems (e.g. the
Spanish demersal fishery on Gran Sol) and those where persistent lack of data
prevents true assessments of the scale of the impact (e.g. Nordic demersal
fisheries).
Future reviews can only achieve greater precision when minimum data collection
and reporting protocols are implemented across all fleets and regional fishery
management organisations. Seabird bycatch could be reduced to negligible
levels in all demersal (and most pelagic) fleets through enforceable regulations
that incorporate practical, cost-effective mitigation measures.
10/0909
Octocoral diversity around South Georgia: using fishery by-catch to investigate
gardens of the deep
Michelle Taylor
1
, Alex David Rogers
2
, David Agnew
3
1
Imperial College London, London, UK,
2
University of Oxford, Oxford, UK,
3
Marine
Resources Assessment Group, London, UK,
4
Institute of Zoology, London, UK
Abstract
Investigations of by-catch from the Patagonian toothfish longline fishery around
South Georgia found octocorals to be the most abundant and diverse animals
captured. Unfortunately octocorals are notoriously difficult to identify
morphologically. Given the needs of management to understand patterns of
diversity in order to protect hotspots, an alternative method of identification was
formulated using molecular techniques. A subset of octocorals, the family
Primnoidae, were morphologically identified and cross-referenced against both
barcoding and phylogenetic trees. Barcoding was efficient at identifying
Primnoidae (the most common family caught as by-catch) but inefficient across
many other families. Phylogenetic results using a new combination of
mitochondrial genes, msh1 and COI+igr, found octocoral families to be, for the
most part, polyphyletic. Results were well-supported by analyses and several, as
yet undescribed, taxa were highlighted by their unexpected placement in
phylogenetic trees. With industry forays into deep-waters expanding in scope,
scale and geographically utilising non-empirically collected data, such as
fisheries by-catch, and improving identifications and diversity estimates using
genetic techniques are methods that can and should be implemented more
widely.
10/1067
Averting Extinction of Hector’s and Maui’s Dolphins in New Zealand: a Case of
Knowing versus Doing
Barbara Maas
NABU International - Foundation for Nature, D-10117 Berlin, Germany
Abstract
Fisheries bycatch of small cetaceans is a global conservation issue and kills
more than 200,000 individuals a year. Hector’s and Maui’s dolphins are unique to
New Zealand and are the rarest marine dolphin species on earth. Trawl fisheries
and commercial as well as recreational gill netting are the chief threats. The
impact of commercial gillnetting alone is unsustainable. Numbers have dropped
from 29,000 to less than 8,000 (27%) since the 1970s. The effects on Maui’s
dolphins, the Critically Endangered North Island subspecies of Hector’s dolphins,
are even more pronounced, with just 111 individuals remaining (10% of the 1970
population). As a result, populations have contracted, become fragmented and
genetically isolated.
Maximum population growth rate is just 2%. Without fisheries bycatch, Hector’s
dolphin numbers could recover to 15,000 individuals in 50 years. Although the
deleterious effects of fisheries bycatch were identified some 20 years ago, efforts
to address them have been subject to sustained challenges from the fishing
industry. New measures introduced in 2008 were still fall short of what is needed
to facilitate recovery. The example of Hector’s dolphin conservation highlights the
significant difficulties of achieving sustainable, science based management
decisions in the face of strong industry opposition.
50
10/1073
R
ecovery of temperate reef fauna from the effects of towed fishing gear
Emma Sheehan
1
, Tim Stevens
1
, Sarah Gall
1
, Sam Fowell
1
, Martin Attrill
1
1
M
arine Institute, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, UK,
2
G
riffith University,
Brisbane, Australia
Abstract
L
yme bay reefs were subject to scallop dredging and demersal trawling, which
d
amaged the fragile mudstone habitat and the associated reef faunal
assemblages. In 2008, 60 nm2 of Lyme Bay was granted protection from bottom
t
owed fishing gear. This Marine Protected Area was the first in the UK to be
established to protect marine biodiversity with no fisheries agenda We developed
a new, cost-effective and relatively non destructive method which employed High
d
efinition video, mounted on a towed, flying array to remotely sample the benthic
a
ssemblages and determine if, when and how the reef recovered. Video
t
ransects were taken in the newly closed area and at control locations. To
q
uantify changes in the reef nekton and mobile cryptic species, we deployed the
h
igh definition gear on a baited static frame, at sites established for the main
survey. Due to the long lived nature of many of the characteristic sessile species
of Lyme bay, such as pink sea fans Eunicella verrucosa, from the offset we
anticipated that the time-scale of the project was insufficient to fully determine
‘recovery. However, we have detected early stages of recovery of reef
assemblages, and positive trends for abundance for some of the indicator
s
pecies.
10/1188
O
verfishing and the Common Fisheries Policy: (un)successfulresults from TAC
r
egulation?
S
ebastian Villasante
University Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña, Spain
Abstract
T
his paper combines official data from 1990-2007 for (i) the Total Allowable
C
atches recommended by scientists from the International Council for the
Exploration for the Sea and the proposed and approved TACs, and (ii) biomass,
r
ecruitment, catches, fishing effort, and current exploitation rates for all marine
populations subjected to TAC regulation. The differences between the fishing
quotas and the scientific recommendations were calculated to be 19% after the
f
irst CFP reform (1992-2001) and 21% after the second one (2002-2008). In some
s
pecies, these differences showed a three-fold increase, in particular those
c
urrently considered to be beyond the biological safety limits.Regarding the most
i
mportant index of abundance, the results also indicate a biomass and
r
ecruitment reduction of 75-85% of the stocks and 90% of catches. In addition, of
all populations analysed under TAC regulation, 20% presents an increase in the
current exploitation rate, 17% did not show significant changes, and the
remaining 63% presented a reduction between 1990 and 2007. These results
could contribute to the recovery of stocks. However, following the methodology
used by Worm et al., this study demonstrates that 86% of the populations
r
egulated by TACs present values higher than exploitation rates that give
m
aximum sustainable yield.
1
0/1221
L
ocating open ocean feeding areas of marine animals using carbon isotopes
C N Trueman
1
, K M MacKenzie
1
, M R Palmer
1
, A Moore
2
, A Ibbotsen
3
, A
Beaumonth
3
1
S
chool of Ocean & Earth Science, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK,
2
Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science, Lowestoft, UK,
3
Game and
W
ildlife Conservation Trust, East Stoke, UK
Abstract
A
n understanding of the distribution of pelagic fish populations is a fundamental
goal of marine ecology, as well being essential to the conservation and
m
anagement of fish stocks. Despite its importance, this problem has proven
difficult to study directly, with tagging and tracking very resource-heavy,
e
xpensive and often reliant on opportunistic sampling biased to fishing areas. In
a novel approach, we show that the location of pelagic fish populations can be
identified by comparing time series of the isotopic composition of carbon in
tissue samples and sea surface temperature. We have applied this technique to
two populations of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar, L.), and show that separate
river stocks and cohorts form geographically distinct populations feeding outside
of historically sampled areas. We see evidence for changes in the location of
feeding areas over the twenty year period sampled, and identify strong influences
of oceanic gyre circulation on trophic linkages leading to salmon. Tissue can
therefore be used in lieu of direct tagging as a proxy for movements of any
marine animal population for which tissue archives are available.
1
1/0317
S
eagrass Ecosystem is a bioshield against biodiversity loss in Asia-Pacific
Miguel Fortes
University of the Philippines, Quezon, Philippines
Abstract
I
n Indo-Pacific, coastal management vis-à-vis biodiversity conservation and
environmental change mitigation and adaptation overly focuses on control of
M
althusian over-fishing in coral reefs. We aim to identify, explain and predict
i
mpacts of natural and human-induced coastal changes via a science-based
understanding of the seagrass system’s strengths and vulnerabilities. This
k
nowledge is used as base of an integrated decision support system to promote
research in the context of the habitat response to local and global change. The
s
upport system, in turn, is the framework of capacity development and policy
decisions to enhance ecosystem integrity and more sustainable and efficient use
of seagrass goods and services. We thus argue in favor of a growing consensus,
which places seagrass system conservation a priority, developing a model of the
ecosystem health, which is the natural biological protector (‘bioshield’) against
loss of biodiversity and impacts of local and global changes along the region’s
coasts.
11/0319
Biodiversity and ecosystem functions of a tropical estuarine system
Joseph Sebastian Paimpillil
Center for Earth Research and Environment Management, Cochin 17, Kerala, India
Abstract
The biodiversity in Cochin Backwaters is composed with diverse ecosystem
services. These services and resources are subject to various biophysical
processes. Apart from hydro-bio-physical processes, biodiversity is degraded by
social and economic processes internal to the system and external interventions
accelerate the process of degradation. The recent studies indicated that the
ecosystem retaining its average health expressed through the existence of a
diverse floral and faunal composition. There were 150 fish and shellfish species
available during early eighties, 74 migrant species and 17 vagrant species. Prior
to the commissioning of the Thaneermukkom bund, average daily catch of 5
tones of shrimp was available during summer months. The productivity had
reduced from 1131 kg/ha in 1950’s to the range of 300-400 kg/ha during the
eighties. A survey of fish in the Backwaters in 2009 had shown that several fish
species believed to have left the tourist hotspots have returned to the
backwaters, whose biodiversity is under threat for various reasons. A
participatory conservation exercise identified 10 more fish species than those
found in the 1990s. Although the system is still capable of generating new
economic values, creation of the new values is at the expense of the biodiversity
of backwaters.
11/0555
Sea-floor biodiversity and ecosystem management in northern European
waters - a case study from the Arctic Seas Biodiversity Project
Lars Henrik Larsen
,Sabine K.J. Cochrane,
Akvaplan-niva, Fram Centre for climate and environment, 9296 Tromsø, Norway
Abstract
The south-western part of the Barents Sea is rich in petroleum reserves, and
also supports large fish populations including Atlantic cod, haddock herring and
capelin. A sizeable proportion of the Norwegian economy is based on these
fisheries, and by 2013 the first oilfield in this area will be in production. Northern
ecosystems are experiencing changes due to the ongoing reduction in thickness
and extent of sea-ice. Natural and anthropogenic-induced environmental
changes potentially interact, and we do not fully understand the future
implications. The petroleum industry has committed to ecosystem-based
management of its practices. As a first step towards a Biodiversity Action Plan
for northern waters, a 3-year research programme has been carried out to
investigate baseline conditions for sea-floor biodiversity and natural variability in
space and time. The programme has addressed coastal environments as well as
shallow banks and offshore operations areas. Research topics include kelp
forest communities, modeling of sensitive habitats and long-term and/or large-
scale analyses of status and changes in benthic communities. Sensitivity of
beach-spawned juvenile capelin to oil exposure also has been studied. On the
basis of our findings, a set of recommendations for improved management
strategies is being developed, in cooperation between researchers and
petroleum operators.
51
11/0604
T
aking the pulse of a marine environment: Meta-indicators of stable and
c
hanging health in the oceans and coasts in Canada.
C
olleen Mercer Clarke
,
Paul Snelgrove
Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador,
C
anada
Abstract
W
hether the result of changing natural conditions or human interactions, marine
environments generally exist in a state of flux, drawing on their capacity to both
r
esist change and to adapt to change. Definitions of healthy ecosystems continue
to be challenged by the need to identify indicators that not only provide
information on the status of biotic communities, but can also point to whether
c
hange has been positive or detrimental. In addition to presenting a new
p
erspective on health in each of Canada’s three oceans (Arctic. Pacific, Atlantic),
t
he interdisciplinary research teams of the Canadian Healthy Oceans Network
(
CHONe) have worked to effectively communicate their findings to government
o
rganizations empowered to make needed changes to societal policy and
practice. We will present mechanisms by which we can move this research,
which includes measurable meta-indicators on risk, tools for spatial planning,
and tools for optimizing sampling in order to facilitate the planning, adaptation
and management of human activities on or near the ocean.
11/0667
C
onnections lost: past migratory species declines challenge future delivery of
e
cosystem services
A
drian Jordaan
,
Michael Frisk, Carolyn Hall
S
oMAS, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
Abstract
E
uropean colonists created and distributed wealth derived from ecological
capital available in the new world that led to a re-shuffling of global power and
t
rade. Historical changes to ecosystems that accompanied European settlement
have had a lasting legacy, one which now threatens the future prosperity of
societies. One of those legacies is the connection between what are now
c
onsidered distinct ecosystems. By analyzing historical land-use changes and
p
atterns of exploitation, an understanding of past ecosystems emerges. Former
h
ighly connected systems, due to movement of fishes and mammals, have been
e
roded and the consequence is a radical departure from the natural state that
t
hreatens delivery of ecosystem services. Historical documents, records of fish
catch and current northeastern United States trawl surveys will be used to
demonstrate impacts of the loss of species that undergo substantial migrations
across current jurisdictional boundaries. Development of multi-jurisdictional and
multi-disciplinary efforts to improve population status of these species towards
improved ecological functioning, and biodiversity maintenance across freshwater
a
nd marine systems, will be discussed.
1
1/0717
B
iodiversity and Function of Stellwagen Bank Sanctuary, Gulf of Maine
Lewis Incze
1
, Peter Auster
2
, Les Kaufman
3
, Roelef Boumans
4
1
University of Maine, Walpole, Maine, USA,
2
University of Connecticut, Groton,
C
onnecticut, USA,
3
B
oston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA,
4
U
niversity of
Vermont, Burlington, Vermont, USA
Abstract
T
he Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary (2180 km
2
)
has been a valuable
f
ishing area from the 1600s through present day and is an important seasonal
foraging habitat for seabirds and marine mammals. Bottom depths range from
~
19-185 m and seafloor substratum varies from mud to sand, gravel, and
boulder. The variety and heterogeneous distribution of depth/substrate
c
ombinations is unusual in an area of this size in the Gulf of Maine, increasing
local biodiversity and the complexity of biological, biochemical and
biogeophysical interactions. The sanctuary’s local diversity and productivity
result from local processes as well as significant allochthonous migratory and
advective inputs, and it is both a sink and source region for propagules of many
species. Predicting the effects of natural and human disturbance will require an
understanding of the role of physical and biological processes at local as well as
regional scales. Here we present a landscape approach and model based on
dominant processes within linked cells. We provide a preliminary analysis of the
ecological functioning of the sanctuary under historical and present-day
scenarios, and estimate ecosystem services derived from those functions. In
particular, we examine the dependency of sanctuary functions and services on
both internal and external factors.
1
1/0741
I
mplications of co-management approach in conservation of marine resources
Qondile Paliso
Southern African Institute of Ecologists and Environmental Scientists, Mthatha,
S
outh Africa
Abstract
In this paper, the writer has attempted to analyze the full complexities of
e
mploying the co-management system in conservation of brown mussels (Perna
p
erna) through the use of the case study areas, namely: Sokhulu in KwaZulu-
Natal (KZN) and Coffee Bay in the Eastern Cape (EC) Provinces of South Africa.
T
his study is a comparative approach of 2 coastal areas, Sokhulu, in the northern
part of KZN and Coffee Bay near the Wild Coast. Communities currently involved
i
n brown mussel resource management in Sokhulu are part of the joint resource
management team. The project, started in 1995 by Dr. Harris of KZN Nature
Conservation Services (KZN NCS), has proven to be successful in its mission of
ensuring wise use of the brown mussel resources. The Coffee Bay project, which
was started in 2000, has no local resource management structures yet in place.
The recommendations made are in line with the efficient conservation strategies
and utilization of brown mussel resources and blend the needs of the community
of Coffee Bay, sound resource use principles provided by the resource managers,
and practical management requirements.
11/0922
Environmental context modifies benthic ecosystem processes through altered
species functional performance
Ana M. Queiros
, Michel Kaiser, Jan Hiddink
Bangor University, North Wales, UK
Abstract
The environmental context plays a key-role in the determination of biodiversity
and ecosystem process relationships, but significant gaps exist in understanding
how the response of single species to environmental variation impacts on these
relationships. This study focuses on evenness as a measure of diversity as it
reflects functional trait distributions in natural communities. Temperature was
used as a proxy for environmental context variation as it is one of the major
physiological determinants for marine organisms. A mesocosm setup was used
to quantify how three temperature treatments modified the relationship between
experimental assemblage evenness and bioturbation (seen as a measure of
aggregate community functional performance), that directly impacts ecosystem
processes such as sediment mixing. The temperature gradient employed acted
as selective stress, and high temperatures decreased community bioturbation
idiosyncratically, depending on the identity of the dominant species in the
assemblages. Strong selection effects were observed, as the identity of the
dominant species had higher relevance to bioturbation at the community level,
than the degree of dominance. However, the species (and therefore community
structure) that maximized the measured ecosystem process, varied between
temperature treatments. These results illustrate how single-species responses
to environmental variation can explain context-dependency in diversity and
process relationships.
11/1024
Coastal tourism in Alibaug, Raigad District: A menace or a bonus?
Poonam Kurve
, Nirmalkumar Kurve
B. N. Bandodkar college of Science, Thane, Maharashtra, India
Abstract
Coastal tourism in Maharashtra is possible only along Konkan coasts. Yet, when
it comes to developing coastal tourism the region that is mainly being considered
happens to be Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Malvan and so on. These coasts are far way
from major metropolitan cities like Mumbai and Pune. Raigad for that matter is
closer to these cities and has good coastline with great potential for coastal
tourism. Alibag and nearby villages flaunt sea beaches with appreciable marine
biodiversity and easy access. In view of this, tourism has to gain momentum in
these areas. Some beaches like Kihim, Kashid, Murud have already established
themselves as popular tourist spots especially for weekend picnics. There are
many nearby sea shores which have exotic marine flora (marine macro-algae)
and fauna (variety of gastropods, bivalves, Corals, sponges, etc.). Excessive
tourism can pose a menace to these forms. Thus, there is a need to enhance
tourism still be conscious about the sustenance of marine life. Regulated
tourism (ecotourism) can serve both the purposes. Economic status of the
villagers should be elevated, at the same time serious threat to marine life
should be avoided.
52
1
1/1031
Achieving balance in marine ecosystems: using status assessments to evaluate
s
ustainable exploitation of marine goods and services
Antony Knights
1
, Rebecca Koss
1
, Breen Patricia
1
, Thomsen Frank
1
, Robinson
L
eonie
1
1
University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK,
2
Cefas, Lowestoft, UK
A
bstract
H
uman activities in both marine and terrestrial environments are contributing to
c
limbing global rates of extinction. However, the role of humans in the
functioning of ecosystems has only recently been formally recognised in
i
ntegrated ecosystem management policy and legislation. The Marine Strategy
Framework Directive (MSFD), which promotes the sustainable use of marine
goods and services, recognises the need to include economic and socio-cultural
components in addition to environmental components. Sustainability - measured
i
n terms of good environmental status (GES), will be assessed using a suite of
i
ndicators of multiple ecosystem characteristics for comparison with threshold
v
alues that denote GES. Existing assessments and monitoring initiatives (e.g.
H
abitats Directive; Water Framework Directive) will likely be used to inform
initial assessments of GES, but their use is not without difficulties. For example,
reference points, baselines and thresholds of good status vary among initiatives
and may not necessarily indicate GES. Here, we evaluate the relevance of existing
status assessments in relation to achieving GES in European regional seas,
demonstrate approaches to assess the risk of failing to achieve GES using
existing assessments and introduce a framework which integrates these
approaches for environmental, economic and social-cultural components to
s
upport sustainable exploitation of marine ecosystems
11/1084
N
ew developments in Marine Ecosystem Services: A focus on the coastal
p
rotection service along Europe
C
amino Liquete
European Commission - Joint Research Centre, Ispra, Italy
Abstract
G
lobal and regional analyses of ecosystem services usually focus on terrestrial
a
nd freshwater habitats, while the marine part is frequently limited to food
production. However, several works have highlighted that the oceans may
c
ontribute 60-80% of the total economic value of the biosphere to human
welfare, with the largest contribution linked to coastal ecosystems.
T
he regulating service coastal protection or wave attenuation provided by
different coastal habitats is one of the few services that has been analysed in
detail, although only from a local perspective. The present work aims at
providing a continental evaluation of the European coastal vulnerability. This
a
pproach can be used to assess how different pressures can deteriorate the
a
bility of coastal ecosystems to provide protection against storms.
To develop this work we have (1) defined the proper framework to analyse MES at
a continental scale; (2) identified and exploited suitable data sources of bio-
geophysical as well as socio-economic parameters; (3) established feasible
indicators and methods (based on capacity-flow-benefit); and (4) produced
s
patially explicit results at a continental scale. Next step will be to provide an
e
conomical valuation of the natural coastal protection in Europe in order to
e
fficiently incorporate our research in the decision-making process.
1
1/1110
M
angrove restoration boosts ecosystem services and conservation incentives
Martin W Skov
Bangor University, Wales, UK
Abstract
T
he ecosystem services framework provides opportunity for boosting
environmental conservation and sustainable development by demonstrating
p
ositive links between human welfare and the state of the natural environment.
A
n 8-year research programme in Kenya has demonstrated ecosystem benefits
from replanting mangroves, including: (i) Biodiversity: faunal diversity rose from
7
to >100 species within 7 years of planting; (ii) Secondary production: facilitation
of new colonisation by trees, and over-yielding of animal biomass in species-rich
p
lantations; (iii) Coastal protection: accelerated sediment accretion following
planting; and (iv) Carbon sequestration: stimulation of above- and below-ground
carbon by planting. A follow-on project (Swahili Seas) is using knowledge of
ecosystem function to support a community-led initiative for mangrove
conservation. The initiative involves protection and regeneration of >100 ha
mangrove, research- and community-led demonstration of carbon sequestration
and forest regeneration, and provisioning of alternative livelihoods to prevent
forest exploitation transferring outside protected areas. The community project
is part-sponsored by Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES): annually a
subsistence amount of funds arise from payment for carbon sequestration by a
western company seeking to boosts its environmental credentials. The project
links ecosystem-services to coastal livelihoods. PES schemes may provide
subsistence incentives for community-led conservation of coastal ecosystems in
developing countries.
1
1/1167
I
s Diversity Related to Service Provision across an Ecosystem? An Estuarine
Case Study
Jeff Bowman
1
, Kit Yu Karen Chan
1
, Colleen Durkin
1
, Gwenn Hennon
1
, Derek
S
mith
2
,
Brooke Sullivan
3
1
School of Oceanography, University of Washington, USA,
2
Department of Biology,
U
niversity of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA,
3
S
chool of Forest Resources, University
of Washington, USA
A
bstract
Efforts to conserve biodiversity are justified by the hypothesis that losses of
d
iversity compromises ecosystem function, thereby degrading services to
society. Often studies limit our ability to assess this relationship by focusing on a
s
ingle function/service of interest and specific suite of organisms, or service
providing units (SPUs). Here we present a conceptual framework that groups
taxa into SPUs and draws explicit links between SPUs and their
functions/services, creating a diversity-service network. To evaluate the
effectiveness of this framework we examined an array of diversity data, including
molecular data, long-term ecological monitoring and harvest records, as factors
of net ecosystem service within Puget Sound, Washington, USA. Puget Sound is
a heavily populated, complex estuarine system supporting a rich assemblage of
plants, animals, microorganisms, and human cultures, making it an ideal
location to study ecosystem-human interactions. Here SPUs were found to
contribute unequally to ecosystems services. While some SPUs perform
important functions (e.g. primary production) that in turn support services (e.g.
mariculture), other SPUs are directly linked to a service (e.g. iconic megafauna in
native culture). This generalized framework of SPUs, functions, and services is a
promising approach which can easily be adopted to other ecosystems.
11/1184
Moving from carbon neutral to climate neutral: Salt marsh restoration as a
case study
Kelly Redeker
University of York, York, UK
Abstract
Coastal regions provide a range of ecosystem services, from carbon
sequestration to nutrient cycling to reducing coastal erosion. Rising sea levels
are expected to drive chemical, physical and biological changes in coastal
ecosystems and hence the ecosystem services that they provide. An example of
current coastal ecosystem change within the UK is realignment of previously
reclaimed coastal lands back into salt marsh habitat. These salt marshes have
been restored primarily on the basis of flood damage prevention but on site
carbon sequestration and nutrient cycling of agricultural run off are expected to
turn these realignments into multi-use ecosystem service providers.In this talk
we explore the environmental ramifications of several UK realignment sites in
context of plant community composition, soil characteristics and trace gas
fluxes. We show that for realigned salt marshes soil compositional differences
between natural and realigned sites can explain community compositional shifts
and that this is likely to have significant impacts on trace gas fluxes.We suggest
that in order to better understand ecosystem provisioning that we should move
beyond “carbon neutral” as a discussion point and instead re-focus on the
broader atmospheric picture including aerosols, black carbon, halocarbons and
nitrogen- and sulfur-bearing compounds.
11/1192
Current legislative and policy frameworks handicap the implementation of the
ecosystem approach in coastal wetlands
Alison Holt
3
, Piran White
1
, Martin Solan
2
, Jasmin Godbold
1
, Anne-Michelle
Slater
1
, Eduardo Pereira
1
1
University of York, York, -,
2
University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, -,
3
University of
Sheffield, Sheffield, -
Abstract
The ecosystem approach aims to achieve a sustainable management of the
processes that underpin ecosystem services, which provide vital human benefits.
However, it is not clear how this approach can be translated into policies that
create the integrated management necessary to protect the environment and
human well-being. There currently exist numerous laws aiming to protect
aspects of coastal wetlands, but this system of laws has not been created with a
focus on human benefits, as an ecosystem approach advocates. Here we explore
the disconnect between current policies aiming to protect aspects of coastal
wetland ecosystems, and the formal laws and institutional set up that might be
required to achieve an ecosystem approach to their management.
Using the Ythan estuary, Scotland, as a case study, we found that recreational
activities and the enhancement of well-being were the benefits that people most
valued. We show that the laws in place may not always adequately protect these.
To successfully move towards the implementation of an ecosystem approach a
new institutional set up is required, in terms of formal laws that protect the
service providing components of the ecosystems, but also with bridging
organisations that can co-ordinate networks of organisations for their integrated
management
53
12/0032
T
he recent knowledge on the Black Sea ichthyofauna
Ekaterina Vasil’eva
1
, Victor Vasil’ev
2
1
Z
oological Museum of Biological Department, Moscow State University, Moscow,
Russian Federation,
2
Institute of Problems of Ecology and Evolution RAS, Moscow,
R
ussian Federation
Abstract
O
ur taxonomic studies, as well as the analysis of literature data, result in
modified recent list of the Black Sea ichthyofauna represented by 175 marine,
e
uryhaline and anadromous species from 57 families and 22 orders (excluding
doubtful records of two species - Mullus surmuletus and Pomatoschistus pictus).
The main source determined recent modifications in the number of fish species
i
s the discovery of several Mediterranean species previously unknown in the
B
lack Sea (Pomatoschistus bathi, Gobius xanthocephalus, G. cruentatus,
P
arablennius incognitus), as well as invasive Indo-Pacific Sphyraena pinguis and
i
ntroduced Pacific Tridentiger trigonocephalus. The taxonomic studies revealed
s
eparate species status for both Spicara flexuosa and S. maena and Proterorhinus
semilunaris and P. marmoratus proved by genetic analyses. The special
investigations resulted in the revisions of taxonomic relations between
Mediterranean and Black Sea populations in genera Mullus, Uranoscopus and
Atherina, as well as in nomenclature revision in some taxa, for example in genus
Hippocampus. However, the only new valid species recently described in the
B
lack Sea basin is Neogobius ephalargoides Pinchuk, 1976, whereas
K
nipowitschia georghievi Pinchuk, 1978 and Benthophilus durrelli Boldyrev &
Bogutskaya, 2004 should be treated invalid names. Further possible changes
related with continuous penetration of Mediterranean fauna are discussed.
12/0047
F
ish community diversity in the middle continental shelf of the East China Sea
Xiujuan Shan
, Xianshi Jin, Zhipeng Zhou, Fangqun Dai
Y
ellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Qingdao, China
Abstract
B
ased on data collected from bottom trawls by the R/V “Beidou” in November
2
006 and February 2007 in the East China Sea, changes in the composition and
d
iversity of the fish community and functional groups were analyzed. The results
showed that the most abundant family was Sciaenidae (7% in 2007 and 6% in
2
006) in the two surveys. Teraponidae, in November 2006, and Engraulidae and
Triglidae, in February 2007, were also well represented. The dominant species
were different between offshore waters and inshore waters and also varied with
t
he survey time. The dominant species in November 2006 were commercial
s
pecies, but small-sized species were dominant in February 2007. The species
w
ere mainly mobile piscivores (G6), benthivores/piscivores (G4), benthivores (G3)
a
nd planktivores (G1). The species diversity showed a similar trend as the
f
unctional group diversity. Stations with higher diversity were mainly distributed
in inshore waters in February 2007, whereas higher diversity was found in
offshore waters in November 2006. In addition, the size spectra were mainly
concentrated around 3-29 cm. These changes were closely related to current
harvesting practices and climate changes, leading to species with faster growth
and earlier age of maturity becoming dominant.
1
2/0178
I
ntraspecifc diversity in North Sea cod in relation to local adaptation and
management
Peter Wright
, Francis Neat, Julian Augley, Martha O’Sullivan
M
arine Scotland Science, Aberdeen, UK
Abstract
An important component of biodiversity is intraspecific variation. Often referred
t
o as population structure, this variability has important consequences for
f
isheries management. Failure to account for population structuring may lead to
the depletion of population components and affect the long-term stability and
s
ustainability of fish stocks. Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) are typically finely
structured relative to the spatial units under which they are managed. In this
s
tudy we present recent evidence for genetic and phenotypic diversity within
North Sea cod, using a combination of genetic, otolith microchemistry and
tagging studies. Evidence from a suite of single nucleotide polymorphic DNA
indicates the presence of two sub-populations within the North Sea, separated
by a preference for the deeper, cooler waters > 100m. This reproductive isolation
is supported by both the extent of inter-mixing of larvae and juveniles evident
from otolith microchemistry and the limited home ranges of tagged cod. Indeed,
within depths < 100m further separation was apparent from non-genetic
methods indicating the existence of a meta-population structure. Moreover, the
different sub-populations exhibit different maturation schedules and have been
exposed to differing exploitation and recruitment histories. As a consequence,
the deep water sub-population is now the most commercially important stock
component.
1
2/0252
D
eep demersal fish assemblages in Mauritania
Miguel Ángel Puerto
1
, Lourdes Fernández
1
, Francisca Salmerón
1
, Javier Rey
1
,
Raimundo Real
2
1
I
nstituto Español de Oceanografía (IEO), Fuengirola (Málaga), Spain,
2
D
epto. Biología
Animal, Fac. Ciencias, Univ. Málaga, Málaga, Spain
Abstract
D
emersal shelf fisheries yields decline have forced some fleets to search
a
lternative fishing grounds at greater depths. These developing fisheries focused
in new target species, having an important effect on not sufficiently known
e
cosystems. Mauritanian oceanographic dynamics, highly conditioned by a
permanent upwelling and a marine frontal zone, characterize one of the most
f
ish productive areas in the world.
A
total of 290 species catch data from 77 hauls performed between 400-1800 m
depth in a demersal trawl survey carried out off Mauritania in autumn 2007 were
considered in this study.
Presence/absences data were analyzed by means of Baroni-Urbani and Buser
index to obtain a similarity matrix. A UPGMA method was used to finally classify
the biotic assemblage’s areas. This study area has been first described by two
main biotic regions, associated to depth and divided by a strong boundary. Each
biotic region was further divided into different weak regions, also conditioned by
depth. Statistical significances between depth and assemblages were analyzed
using a logistic regression.
12/0299
Seasonal dynamics of growth and mortality suggest contrasting population
structures for cod, pollack and saithe in Masfjorden, Norway
Mikko Heino
2
, Terje Svåsand
1
, Jarle T. Nordeide
4
, Håkon Otterå
1
1
Institute of Marine Research, Bergen, Norway,
2
University of Bergen, Bergen,
Norway,
3
International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Laxenburg, Austria,
4
University of Nordland, Bodø, Norway
Abstract
We study dynamics of cod, pollack and saithe, the dominant gadoid species in
Masfjorden, a small fjord in western Norway. At the annual time scale, cohorts of
pollock and cod grow in size and decline in abundance as a well-defined, closed
populations are expected to do, whereas saithe is seen to virtually disappear by
the time they reach maturity. At a seasonal time scale, however, dynamics of cod
and pollock are quite different. Whereas pollock is seen to increase in
catchability and increase in size mostly during the summer months, mean size-
at-age of cod shows a pronounced increase in late autumn, and their abundance
increases; there is little increase in mean size-at-age during the summer. We
suggest that these seasonal changes in cod represent mixing of two populations,
resident cod and a migratory cod that comes in to the fjord for spawning. In
conclusion, Masfjorden seems to host resident populations of pollock and cod,
and function as a juvenile habitat for saithe and as a spawning habitat for a
migratory cod population.
12/0309
Reproductive Ecology of the Reef Fishes in the Gulf of California
Liliana Hernández Olalde
1
, Pablo del Monte-Luna
2
, Oscar Trujillo Millán
1
1
Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Sur, La Paz, Mexico,
2
Centro
Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas, La Paz, Mexico
Abstract
Reef fishes display different forms of reproduction, involving complex social,
ethological and ecological systems whose phenotypical expression and variation
depends on environmental conditions. However, there are few efforts for
organizing and integrating this information into a coherent ecological context. We
analyzed key histological, ethological and ecological aspects of three fish species
in the Gulf of California (Abudefduf troschelii, Thalassoma lucasanum and
Cirrhitus rivulatus) in order to describe their reproductive process. From May
2003 through October 2005, we sampled 15 specimens of each species on a
monthly basis. We used underwater video-recording, basic biometrics,
gonadosomatic Index, gonad histology and abundance data for a complete
characterization of the reproductive season. We found that warm season (March-
October) positively correlates with the reproductive season for all species. A.
troschelii was defined as gonochoric and nest-forming species. Gonad histology
and sex proportion confirm that T. lucasanum is a diandric, protogynous
hermaphrodite. This species forms pelagic reproductive aggregations (~100
organisms) spawning at sunrise in zones of intense current flow. C. rivulatus was
confirmed as monandric, protogynous hermaphrodite, forming harems and
spawning in zones of intense current flow. Finally, we suggest that a spatio-
temporal segregation allows ecological coexistence of these species.
54
12/0371
E
cological and fisheries consequences of intra-stock diversity of Atlantic cod in
U
.S. waters
L
isa Kerr
1
,
Steven Cadrin
1
,
Adrienne Kovach
2
1
University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, Fairhaven, MA, USA,
2
University of New
H
ampshire, Durham, NH, USA
Abstract
I
gnoring complex population structure in the management of fisheries can
present problems, because a key aspect of sustainable management is that the
s
patial scale of management action matches the scale of biological processes.
We hypothesize that recognition of biodiversity of Atlantic cod in U.S. waters will
revise our perceptions of the productivity, stability, and sustainable yield of the
r
egional population. We used simulation modeling to examine ecological and
f
isheries consequences of a mismatch between management units and fine-
s
cale population structure of Atlantic cod. Two age-structured simulation
m
odels were compared to test our hypothesis: 1) the management unit model,
w
herein cod were grouped based on two current spatially-defined US
management areas, and 2) the biological unit model, which consists of three
genetically-defined population components. Consideration of cod biodiversity
changed our perception of the spatio-temporal distribution of cod in the region.
Productivity, stability, and yield of the biological structure model was greater
than that of the management unit model due to consideration of the unique vital
r
ates and dynamics of spawning groups, and connectivity between them.
R
ecognition of biological structure indicated higher regional productivity of cod
and may contribute to a more productive fishery.
12/0392
S
pawning site fidelity and non-random mating of an Atlantic cod subpopulation
Douglas Zemeckis
1
, William Hoffman
2
, Micah Dean
2
, Michael P. Armstrong
2
,
D
avid Martins
1
,
Steven Cadrin
1
1
University of Massachusetts- Dartmouth, Dartmouth, Massachusetts, USA,
2
M
assachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Abstract
A
tlantic cod (Gadus morhua) stocks have declined significantly in the northwest
Atlantic resulting in the disappearance of historical spawning aggregations,
p
articularly in the Gulf of Maine region. We investigated the spawning behavior
and movement patterns of cod with respect to a small-scale spawning ground in
Massachusetts Bay using acoustic telemetry, data storage tags (DST’s), and t-bar
a
nchor tags. Data from nearly 1,000 tagged cod documents spawning site fidelity.
I
ndividual cod remained on the spawning ground for approximately two to six
w
eeks. Affinity to the spawning ground was high, with infrequent movements
a
way from the area during the spawning season. Tag recoveries from the fishery
a
fter the spawning season suggest that cod reside in the western Gulf of Maine
and do not exhibit long-distance migrations. Our results are being applied to
refine fishery management actions with the goal of conserving the remaining
spawning components in the Gulf of Maine, as well as rebuilding historic stock
structure and biomass.
1
2/0408
H
ow many species of southern African marine fishes?
Sophie von der Heyden
Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
Abstract
I
t is well recognised that biodiversity inventories are not complete, with
potentially thousands of species unknown to science. In southern Africa, a
n
umber of novel marine fishes have recently been described, which include
l
arger fishes such skates and sharks, so it is likely the fish biodiversity in the
region is undersampled. This paper uses species discovery curves and a
m
aximum likelihood model to estimate the unknown portion of endemic,
southern African fishes. The results suggest that at least 25% of the total
e
ndemic marine fish fauna is as yet undescribed. By analysing total maximum
length (TL) and depth, results indicate that most undiscovered species will be
small (<10cm TL) and inhabit shallow environments (<10metres), probably
inhabiting the sub-tropical/tropical waters of the east coast. At the current rate
of fish discovery it will take at least 50 years to describe the total endemic fish
fauna. Overall, size is the greatest predictor of whether a marine fish has been
described, with smaller sized. It is likely that estimates of unknown biodiversity
are probably higher still due to cryptic species and hybridisation in currently
recognised species. The importance of molecular tools and the impact of climate
change may further contribute to species discovery.
1
2/0454
F
actors influencing habitat selection by fish recruits at rocky reefs in Western
Mediterranean Sea
Fabiana Cézar Félix Hackradt, 2
1
, Carlos Werner Hackradt, 3
1
, José Antonio
G
arcía Charton
1
,
Jorge Treviño Otón
1
,
Maria Segovia Viadero
1
,
Ana Tubío Gomez
1
,
Ángel Pérez Ruzafa
1
, Concepción Marcos Diego
1
1
U
niversity of Murcia, Spain,
2
P
hD. Scholarship Capes, Brazil,
3
P
hD. Scholarship
CNPq,Brazil
A
bstract
Ecological processes acting during early stages of marine fish have important
c
onsequences for population dynamics. On this context we aimed to investigate
the multivariate response of recruiting fishes to habitat features, insularity and
f
ishing exclusion measures.
During one year, visual census surveys were done at 4 localities, two islands and
two coastal zones, each one with protected and unprotected areas. Transects (10
x 2 m) were used to evaluate abundance, diversity and size structure of fish
recruits, and microhabitat characteristics such as rugosity, slope, blocks
number, abundance of urchins, sponges and algae, and substrate cover were
measured on 1-m2 quadrats.
Analyses showed that coastal habitat played a major role during summer, where
recruit peak occurs. In this season, unprotected zones showed higher fish
richness and diversity than protected ones. Meanwhile, interactions between
multiple factors such as seasonality, insularity and protection and also natural
spatial variability accounted for differences in total abundance. Complex
interactions between environmental variables were responsible for fish
assemblage composition, but at almost all cases depth and temperature and
secondary live cover were the main determinant habitat features for the
occurrence of fish recruits.
12/0618
Underwater visual observation of ichtiocen structure of coastal zone of Crimea
(Black Sea)
Taras Hetman
Institute of Biology of the Southern Seas NAS of Ukraine, Sevastopol, Crimea,
Ukraine
Abstract
The investigation of fish species diversity of coastal waters is actual direction of
modern biological science. Coastal fish communities are characterized by rich
diversity of species and the most prone to negative environmental changes. The
aim of our study was to determine the sustainable Crimea coastal ichtiocens. We
have delivered and realized such tasks as: identification of species, areas of the
distribution, seasonal and interannual dynamics, qualitative and quantitative
indicators of fish communities.
Materials for the study were the results of underwater diving observations,
analysis, photos and videos produced by more than 2500 dives from 2001 to
2011years. Dives were conducted years-round along most of the coast, at depths
of up to 80 m.
From currently records of 117 fish species near Crimean coast (Boltachev, 2010),
we observed 73 species belonging to 29 families. At first landscape mapping for
more than 41 stations was carried out, examined 10 ship wrecks, which are
artificial reefs. Based on received data we delineated 2 separate groups of
ichtiocens: hard and soft soils. There were investigated structural, seasonal and
long-term population dynamics and distribution, areas of fish communities along
coast. Allocated areas recommended for protection as areas inhabited by rare
and protected fish species.
12/0619
Fisheries and Conservation of Hexanchus griseus in the Central Mediterranean.
Noel Vella
, Adriana Vella
Conservation Biology Research Group, Dept. of Biology, University of Malta, Msida
MSD 2080, Malta
Abstract
The bluntnose sixgill shark, Hexanchus griseus, is mainly caught through bottom
longlines off the coast of Malta. Even though this species has been enlisted as
Nearly Threatened by IUCN assessments, data is still limited for this species.
This research project which has started in 2005, covers aspects of its biology and
its population genetics.
Maltese landing records of H. griseus have shown that there has been a constant
increase in the fishing effort between the mid-1980s and the mid-1990s followed
by a sharp decline in its landings. Moreover it is evident that over 80% of the
landed H. griseus were either primary or secondary target species, with the
majority of the specimens being landed between January and April. The
seasonality in landings is linked to the fishing strategies adopted by Maltese
fishermen, who change their fishing gear according to the market needs.
Demographic data has shown that most of the individuals landed were juveniles,
with the proportion of females being significantly larger than that of males.
Molecular genetic analyses are also being used to look into the genetic diversity
and structure of the stocks being exploited by various fisheries in the
Mediterranean. Conservation measures are also proposed for this species.
55
12/0701
E
valuation of Fish Monitoring in Kas-Kekova Marine Protected Area
Mehmet Baki Yokes
1
, Volkan Demir
2
, Selahattin Unsal Karhan
3
, Evrim Kalkan
4
,
U
mut Tural
2
1
Department of Molecular Biology & Genetics, Haliç University, Istanbul, Turkey,
2
I
nstitute of Marine Sciences and Management, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey,
3
D
epartment of Biology, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey,
4
D
epartment of
E
nvironmental Science, Bogaziçi University, Istanbul, Turkey
Abstract
6
0 species of fish have been monitored in Kas-Kekova Specially Protected Area
(Antalya, Turkey) since 2002. Three depth zones (0-6m, 6-18m and 18-30m) were
separately screened in 121 stations by diving. The number of observed
i
ndividuals as well as the sizes of the legally protected grouper species
(
Epinephelinae) were recorded. Station, habitat and depth preferences of the
s
pecies and different age groups were figured out. It was found that the alien
s
pecies dominate the fish fauna. Most of the monitored speices did not showed
a
ny change in 8 years. But decreases in both population size and body length
were observed in some of the economically important species. The most striking
one was observed in Pagrus pagrus, its population decreased to one fourteenth of
it was observed in 2002. On the other hand, an unexpected increase in
Epinephelus aeneus population was recorded.
The data collected, reasons of the observed changes in fish populations, the
impact of alien species and legal measures which should to be taken will be
discussed.
12/0716
M
odelling the implications of population structure in a marine fish stock: the
c
ase of Icelandic cod
H
eidi Pardoe
1
,
Bruce McAdam
1
,
Erin Dunlop
2
,
Ulf Dieckmann
3
,
Guðrún
M
arteinsdóttir
1
1
U
niversity of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland,
2
O
ntario Ministry of Natural Resources,
P
eterborough, Ontario, Canada,
3
I
nternational Institute for Applied Systems Analysis,
L
axenburg, Austria
Abstract
M
ost marine fish species are assumed to be genetically homogeneous on broad
geographic scales because of the large population sizes and lack of obvious
physical barriers to gene flow. Recently, this traditional view has been strongly
c
hallenged. Evidence is mounting of widespread phenotypic and genetic
v
ariation, often on surprisingly fine spatial scales. However, many exploited
m
arine stocks continue to be managed as single panmictic units. Failure to
a
ccount for biologically relevant complexity could be to the detriment of
c
onservation of genetic diversity, and the ability of populations to withstand and
recover from commercial fishing and environmental change. We present an
individual-based eco-genetic model that has been parameterised in detail for
Icelandic cod (Gadus morhua), which provides the opportunity to study a valuable
resource that displays intriguing patterns of phenotypic, behavioural, life history
and genetic variation, but continues to be managed as a single stock. We utilise
t
he model to investigate possible causes of the observed variation and explore
t
he consequences of that variation for the persistence and productivity of the
stock under contemporary exploitation patterns.
1
2/0744
W
hite seabream, what is telling us?
Mercedes González-Wangüemert
Centro de Ciências do Mar (CCMAR), Universidade do Algarve, Faro, Portugal
Abstract
W
hite seabream (Diplodus sargus, Linnaeus 1758) is an optimal target species to
tackle interesting questions in marine biology such as connectivity, recruitment,
s
election and effects from fishery protection. Our studies during several years
h
ave demonstrated a significant genetic differentiation between populations at
Western Mediterranean. We observed a stepping stone pattern at medium scales
(
10
2
-
10
3
K
m) and a chaotic genetic patchiness at small scales (10
1
-
10
2
K
m),
responding the gene flow to complex paths through oceanographic currents and
v
ariability on recruitment. These patterns change when we increase the spatial
scales (Mediterranean and Atlantic ) finding only significant genetic
differentiation for Azores. This break is explained by hydrographic/hydrodynamic
and historical factors. This complex model to make difficult to find effects of
fishery protection although higher genetic diversity was detected at protected
populations than areas with fishery pressure. Significant genetic differentiation
among cohorts was also found with similar values to that registered between
populations separated by 10
2
Km. Finally, we tested if there is divergence-with-
gene flow at lagoon populations, finding differences between groups
(inside/outside lagoons) and two exclusive haplotypes from both coastal lagoons
which showed the highest number of singletons, some of them with a high
number of mutations.
1
2/0881
H
ow the reproductive rate of commercial fish stocks scales with size diversity
C. Tara Marshall
1
, M. Joanne Morgan
2
1
University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK,
2
Dept. of Fisheries and Oceans, St. John’s,
C
anada
Abstract
Overexploitation of commercial fish stocks results in the loss of large individuals
w
ith an increased proportional representation of smaller individuals. Reduced
s
ize diversity has been observed to have negative consequences for recruitment.
The link between size diversity and recruitment might result from stocks that are
d
ominated by small individuals having lower reproductive rates compared to
stocks having proportionally more large individuals. To test whether reproductive
r
ate of a stock depends on length diversity year-specific estimates of total egg
production (TEP) were compiled for two cod stocks and one plaice stock. The
reproductive rate was estimated for each year in the time series by dividing TEP
by the total biomass of the mature individuals in the stock giving an index having
units of number of eggs produced per gram of spawning stock. The mean length
of spawners was used to represent the size diversity of the stock in each year.
Each of the three stocks showed significant, positive correlations between size
diversity and reproductive rate with reproductive rate in years of high size
diversity being double the rate in years of low diversity. The consistency of this
finding across the three stocks suggests that it may be a general result.
12/0915
Bluefin tuna Genetic Diversity in the Mediterranean Sea
Adriana Vella
, Noel Vella
University of Malta, Msida, Malta
Abstract
The North Atlantic Bluefin Tuna, Thunnus thynnus, has been divided into two
major stocks, the western and the eastern stocks, and have been assessed by
IUCN as Critically Endangered and Endangered, respectively. Studies have shown
very specific migratory patterns between the Atlantic Ocean and the
Mediterranean Sea, as it is known that the latter is a major spawning site for the
eastern stock. However it is not very clear if the eastern stock redistributes itself
along different regions of the Mediterranean for spawning, in which case there
might be several sub-stocks which would require individualized attention for
their conservation. On investigating the genetic distance between samples
caught during the six year study period (1999-2004) from three locations south of
the Maltese Islands, genetic diversity between individuals sampled from regions
A (SW) and C (SE) was found to be significant on a pairwise test: FST = 0.018 (P =
0.015). For this purpose a number of commercially exploited regions were
sampled (until 2010) from the Northwest, Central and Eastern Mediterranean
regions so as to investigate the extent of species genetic diversity between the
three regions using microsatellites. Conserving genetic diversity due to
spawning site fidelity is essential for its conservation.
12/0995
The origin of Patagonian toothfish at the South Sandwich Islands: comparing
evidence from genetics and otolith microchemistry
James Roberts
1
, Elaine Fitzcharles
2
, Mark Belchier
4
, Sue Gregory
4
, Simon
Chenery
5
, Alex David Rogers
3
, David Agnew
6
1
Imperial College, London, UK,
2
University of St. Andrews, Fife, UK,
3
Oxford
University, Oxford, UK,
4
British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge, UK,
5
British Geological
Survey, Nottingham, UK,
6
Marine Resources Assessment Group, London, UK
Abstract
Analyses of otolith microchemistry and genetics are frequently used for stock
identification purposes, though few if any studies have sought to directly
compare the two. Here both techniques are used to identify the origin and timing
of migration of a probable sink population of Patagonian toothfish (Dissostichus
eleginoides) at the South Sandwich Islands, located in the South Atlantic
seasonal pack ice zone. The sample population was found to comprise a mixture
of two haplotypes, typical of stocks from the Patagonian Shelf and South Georgia,
respectively. Otolith microchemistry (Sr, Ba, Mn and Mg ratios to Ca) was
analysed from the core to rim and confirmed that South Georgia haplotype
individuals were likely to have originated from South Georgia and may have
migrated to the South Sandwich Islands between three and eight years after
hatching. Increased Sr and Ba ratios to Ca in the core of Patagonian shelf
haplotype individuals suggests a different natal origin, though genetic effects on
mineral deposition are also possible. This study found that the genetic and
otolith microchemistry techniques provide complementary evidence for the study
of mixing between deep water fish populations.
56
12/1044
T
he Marine Trophic Index as a biodiversity indicator: strengths and
w
eaknesses.
D
elphine Rocklin
1
,
Dominique Pelletier
2
,
Harold Levrel
1
1
Ifremer, Plouzané, France,
2
Ifremer, Nouméa, New Caledonia
Abstract
O
ur environment has suffered from a long history of degradations and many
c
ountries have recognized the urgent need to preserve and restore biodiversity.
The first great action at a worldwide scale was the adoption of the Convention on
B
iological Diversity treaty at Rio conference (1992). Following the Johannesburg
summit in 2002, various indicators were developed to monitor biodiversity
erosion and assess whether or not the 2010 goal - reduce significantly
b
iodiversity loss - could be reached. Among these indicators, the Marine Trophic
I
ndex (MTI) was chosen to detect fishing impacts on marine biodiversity.
H
owever, even if this indicator is widely used and acknowledged, its efficiency is
s
till debated among scientists.
I
n this paper, we address the specific issue of the potential biases associated
w
ith the data used to calculate the ITM, meaning fish landings.
To carry out this comparison, we used two French datasets coming respectively
from professional fish landings and from scientific fish campaigns. This
comparison enables us to discuss one of the limit of the ITM as an indicator of
m
arine biodiversity
12/1049
R
ecurrent spawning grounds and spawning habitat modelling of dab (Limanda
l
imanda), plaice (Pleuronectes platessa), cod (Gadus morhua) and whiting
(Merlangius merlangus) in the North Sea between 2006-2009
L
ELIEVRE Stéphanie
,
Vaz Sandrine, Loots Christophe
I
FREMER, Boulogne sur Mer, France
Abstract
D
ue to the fragility of some fish stocks, marine spawning grounds are considered
as “essential habitats”. Spatio-temporal changes in spawning location were
d
escribed in the Southern North Sea and Eastern English Channel from 2006 to
2009. The yearly fish eggs distribution was mapped for each species using
geostatistics and a geographical information system. These maps were
c
ombined overall available years to define recurrent, occasional, rare and
u
nfavourable spawning areas. Then, preferential spawning habitats were
m
odelled by Generalised Linear Models, using sea surface temperature and
s
alinity, chlorophyll a concentration, depth, bedstress and sediment types as
p
roxy to explore the relative importance of the environment on eggs distribution.
Spawning grounds of these four species remained stable in time and were
recurrent in the south-eastern part of the study area, along the Dutch to German
coasts. Generally, eggs were localised in shallow depth, with low temperature
and relatively high salinity. A multi-specific analyses of these results highlighted
the importance of the south-eastern part of the North Sea as a main winter
s
pawning ground for the studied species according with management projects
a
nalysed in other studies such as Natural marine park of the three estauries or
Project of Natura 2000 areas in Germany waters.
1
3/0008
B
iodiversity, biogeographic structure and quantitative distribution of
bryozoans in the East Siberian Sea as a component of ecosystem of the sea
Nina Denisenko
Z
oological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Saint-Petersburg, Russian
Federation
Abstract
B
ryozoan fauna of the East Siberian Sea is one of the most purely studied in the
A
rctic due to severe environments of the sea. The bryozoan diversity in this sea
was estimated as 117 species until the end of 20
t
h
century. Recent expeditions
(
1995-2004) to the sea collected material, which allowed increasing species list
on 21 species. Biogeographically the sea is dominated by boreal-arctic
b
ryozoans (62 %). Among them 37 % are wide spread species, 10 % have Pacific
origin, 13 % - Atlantic forms. Arctic forms consist 36 %, boreal elements are
absent. Clustering procedure of similarity indexes determines the closest
similarity of the bryozoan fauna with the Laptev Sea bryozoans in comparison to
the Chukchi, Bering Seas and the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. MDS analysis
shows a presence of one faunal bryozoan complex in the Sea. Influence of the
Pacific and Atlantic water masses tell on variation of biogeographic structure
along depth. The most diverse fauna is registered in the northern part of the sea
on depths between 40 and100 m. Bryozoans distribution restricts by variations of
salinity and water temperature and sediments structure. Bryozoan abundance
varies from 1 to 12620 colonies/m
2
, biomass - from 0.05 to 23.0 g/m
2
.
1
3/0014
T
he biodiversity of polychaetes on the southeastern Mediterranean coast, off
Alexandria, Egypt
Mohamed Dorgham
, Hoda El Rashidy, Manal Atta, Rasha El Sayed
A
lexnadria University, Alexandria, Egypt
Abstract
A total of 73 polychaetes species were identified on the Coast of Alexandria,
b
elonging to 23 families, with the highest diversity of Syllidae (22 species), and
l
ess so Nereididae (9 species), Serpulidae (6 species) and Eunicidae (5 species).
Of this number 28 species were widely distributed, 24 species appeared at 2 or 3
s
ites, and the rest of species were localized. Polychaetes appeared to be highly
diversified and abundant on the hard bottom as compared to those found in the
l
oose bottom. The dominant species played variable roles in the total population
along Alexandria Coast and the peaks of their abundance occurred at different
timing. However, some species reported high count once a year at a certain site.
Several species were referred to as pollution indicators, others were sensitive to
salinity variations as well as to pollution. A brackish form, Namanereis pontica,
was recorded near a land based- effluent. The diversity index of polychaetes
reported pronounced monthly variations, while their annual averages displayed
relatively small spatial differences.
The long-term observations demonstrate that polychaetes biodiversity suffered
serious changes along Alexandria coast during the past century, due to
fundamental changes occurred in the area.
13/0029
First quantitative subtidal benthic survey of the South Georgia “ecotone”
marine region
Paul Brewin
1
, Paul Brickle
1
, Claire Goodwin
2
, Emma Wells
3
, Judith Brown
1
, David
Barnes
5
, Martin Collins
4
1
Shallow Marine Surveys Group, Falkland Islands,
2
National Museum of Northern,
UK,
3
Wells Marine, UK,
4
Government of South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands,
Falkland Islands,
5
British Antarctic Survey, UK
Abstract
The marine habitats of South Georgia are potentially of the most interesting in
the region, yet at present they are of the least understood. We present 0.25m
2
photo-quadrat data from 5m, 10m and 18m depth transects, across 25 sites
extending from the north-western to south-eastern extent of the northern
coastline. Comprehensive floral and macrofaunal collections were also made
from within quadrats and surrounds. We show that the subtidal assemblages are
a mix of endemic South Georgia species, and species more typical of South
America, Antarctic and the Falklands, and those with circumpolar biogeographic
distributions. These data support the notion that South Georgia represents a
convergence of “edge of range” distributions of South Atlantic (southern range)
and Antarctic (northern range) species, and as such can be considered an
“ecotone” biogeographic region. Given that the latest climate change scenarios
show that shallow marine communities of South Georgia are of the most
vulnerable globally to both changes in diversity and shifts in species
distributions, these data provide a valuable baseline for monitoring and
management. This work contributes to a larger (and the first polar) Darwin
Initiative project of biological and physical mapping of the South Georgia region.
13/0056
Classifying benthic invertebrates into functional groups
Fiona Murray
, Martin Solan
Oceanlab, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
Abstract
In marine sediments, benthic fauna play a crucial role in processing organic
matter and nutrient cycling. Functional groups are often used in benthic
communities to aid understanding of the effects of different species; however
groups are frequently defined a priori by categories such as trophic level or
bioturbation mode and not from direct measurements of a species’ effect on
ecosystem function. This study directly measured the individual impacts of
seven representative benthic invertebrates in a mesocosm system.
Decomposition and nutrient regeneration were measured as were bioturbation
and bioirrigation, key processes which mediate these functions. Species were
separated into functional groups by their impact on these factors. This study
provides a framework for establishing functional groups of common benthic
invertebrates by linking them directly to their effect on ecosystem function.
57
13/0080
B
iogeographic patterns in benthic diversity and recruitment — Does propagule
p
ressure mean anything?
R
obert Whitlatch
1
,
Richard Osman
1
1
University of Connecticut, Groton, CT, USA,
2
Smithsonian Environmental Research
C
enter, Edgewater, MD, USA
Abstract
R
ecuritment rates can vary greatly within and among biogeograhic regions.
Among regions, recruitment appears to vary inversely with regional diversity
s
uch that rates are highest in low diversity estuarine systems and lowest in
tropical and other high diversity regions. Within regions the patterns is opposite
with sites of higher diversity also having higher recrutiment rates. Growth rates
s
eem to parallel these trends in recruitment such that communities develop
m
uch more slowly in regions with low recruitment and high diversity. Finally,
w
ith increasing seasonality or stress, recruitment is compressed temporally with
t
his resulting in consistent periods of peak recruitment which can be restricted
t
o a few weeks with hugh recruitment rates. Although these patterns are
intriguing, it is not clear whether they point to consistent variation in ecological
processes driving the observed patterns or whether this variation have any
impact on the degree to which these systems can be altered. For example, one
might argue that the slow recruitment and community development of diverse
systems allow resources to remain open to invasions of new species, but the data
s
uggest that invasions are actually more prevalent in systems with higher
r
ecruitment and development rates.
13/0136
S
ources of beta diversity in estuarine benthic macro-invertebrate communities
i
n the Baltic Sea - North Sea transition
A
lf B Josefson
,
Cordula Göke
NERI, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark
Abstract
I
dentification of sources of beta diversity, the change of diversity, is important to
u
nderstand regulation of overall diversity.
A
dditive partitioning of diversity (species richness and expH) compared to
r
andom, was performed on a quantitative benthic macro-invertebrate collection
of > 400 species from an area extending > 400 km. The 330 samples were
a
rranged hierarchically into four levels representing different spatial scales: 1)
the sample scale (0.1 m2) nested within 2) Stations (m scale) nested within 3)
sediment type strata (km scale), nested within 4) regions with different salinity
regimes (ca 100 km).
C
ontributions of beta to total diversity were high among regions, but minor
between sediment types. Thus controlling for the two environmental factors,
salinity and sediment type, there was still an unexplained high beta among
stations within regions.
A significant distance-decay within regions of similarity between stations likely
contributed to this high beta. Decay curves with shorter halving distances for
species with direct benthic development compared to those with planktotrophic
larval development, suggested that dispersal limitation generated some of the
high beta within regions. The study indicates control of beta diversity by both
e
nvironmental factors and factors related to invertebrate biology, operating at
d
ifferent spatial scales.
1
3/0144
I
mpacts of increasing stress on benthic ecosystem functioning
Anna Villnäs
1
, Alf Norkko
1
, Joanna Norkko
2
1
Finnish Environment Institute, Marine Research Centre, Helsinki, Finland,
2
Åbo
A
kademi University, Environmental and Marine Biology, Åbo, Finland
Abstract
Disturbance of seafloor ecosystems results in changed or impaired biodiversity.
S
till, how differences in disturbance dynamics might alter ecosystem functioning
i
s poorly understood. Oxygen deficiency is a widespread threat to benthic
communities, with well-established, negative impacts on the benthic fauna.
H
owever, few studies have assessed in situ how benthic communities subjected
to different degrees of oxygen deficiency alter their contribution to ecosystem
f
unctioning. We studied changes in benthic ecosystem functioning by artificially
inducing oxygen deficiency of increasing and repetitive durations in sub-tidal
sandy habitats. Responses in benthic community structure and function were
quantified, and benthic chamber incubations were used for measuring responses
in sediment nutrient fluxes. Increased stress reduced benthic biodiversity and
impaired the structural and functional composition of the community. Alterations
in benthic traits indicated a reduction in the community bioturbation potential.
Consequences for ecosystem function were seen as altered sediment oxygen and
nutrient fluxes. Although the effects of oxygen deficiency on ecosystem
functioning seem to be habitat-specific, our study indicates that the level of
stress alters the way benthic communities contribute to ecosystem processes.
1
3/0149
C
ontribution of biofilm to ecosystem functioning in rockpools and effect of
different macroalgal assemblages
Claire Golléty
, Tasman P. Crowe
U
niversity College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 14, Ireland
Abstract
Despite extensive research into biodiversity-ecosystem functioning relationships,
t
he contribution of microorganisms remains poorly understood. This study is a
f
irst attempt to understand the role of epilithic biofilms in the functioning of
rockpool ecosystems and their interactions with macroalgae. We designed a
f
actorial field experiment establishing different macroalgal assemblages with or
without biofilm in an array of constructed rockpools. The measured ecosystem
p
rocesses were oxygen metabolism in terms of community (entire rockpool
assemblage) and residual (rockpool assemblage without macroalgae) gross
primary productivity and respiration. We also measured photosynthetic efficiency
of the rockpool biofilm using PAM fluorometry. The presence or absence of
biofilm did not significantly interact with the different macroalgal assemblages in
affecting the oxygen metabolism. The photosynthetic efficiency of the biofilm
measured when both canopy and understory were present was significantly
lower than with the other macroalgal assemblages, suggesting that this
assemblage significantly affected the composition or activity of the biofilm. The
biofilm had a negligible contribution to rockpool metabolism compared to
macroalgae but, in the short term, its composition or activity was affected by
different macroalgal assemblages. Understanding the consequences of such
changes in the longer term will help in predicting the effects of biodiversity
change on marine ecosystems.
13/0161
The Marine Biodiversity of Macrobenthos from the Jiaozhou Bay, Shandong
Peninsula, Yellow Sea
Xinzheng Li
, Hongfa Wang, Baolin Zhang, Jinbao Wang
Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, Shandong, China
Abstract
Fourteen stations, in which eleven are normal research stations in the bay, three
are control stations out of the bay, were set up for macrobenthic research in
Jiaozhou Bay, southern coast of Shandong Peninsula, Yellow Sea. Based on the
data mainly from these ten stations during past 30 years since 1980, the change
of marine biodiversity of macrobenthos of Jiaozhou Bay was analysized. The
results show that the species numbers and mean abundances of macrobenthos
from Jiaozhou Bay changed strongly before 1998, but they tend to be stable
(changed little) since 1998. This may be because the stop of trawling in the bay
since 1998, and the policy of Fishing Ban since 2001, there have not been strong
disturb in the bottom. The mean biomass of macrobenthos from the bay
fluctuated from 1980 to 2004, which was at lowest position during 1998 to 2000,
increased from 2000 to 2004, then it tends to be stable. The Philippines clam, a
very important biological resource in the bay and adjacent area, is the most
important contributor to the macrobenthic biomass in the bay.
13/0165
A comparison of meiofaunal density from mangroves, estuary and beach
sediment, with special reference to free-living marine nematodes.
Chinnadurai Gunasekaran
, Arockiamary Anthonipillai, Panigrahi Satya, Satpathy
K.K.
Periyar Arts College (affiliated by Thiruvalluvar University, Vellore-6), Cuddalore -
607001, Tamil Nadu, India
Abstract
The aim of this study is to determine the density and distribution of meiofaunal
communities and nematodes species diversity on the intertidal area of
Pichavaram mangrove wetland, Vellar eatuary and Parangipettai beach
sediment, southeast coast of India. Nine major meiofaunal taxa were identified.
Nematodes were the most dominant taxon, contributing 60-95% of the total
fauna. A maximum meiofaunal density of 1850 ind. 10cm
2
was recorded in
mangrove wetland and minimum of 150 ind. 10cm
2
was recorded in beach
sediment. A total of 54 species of nematodes belonging to 44 genera and 26
families were recorded. Of these, 50 species belonging to 40 genera and 22
families were recorded from mangrove wetland, 32 species belonging to 28
genera and 19 families were recorded from estuary and 21 species belonging 18
genera and to 14 families from beach sediment. While 15 species were common
at all the three sampling sites. Therefore, we conclude that the highest
meiofaunal density was found in the mangrove wetland and lowest density was
recorded in the beach sediment.
58
13/0187
S
ediment permeability and macrofaunal functional diversity structure
n
ematode communities from shelf seas.
J
an Vanaverbeke
,
Ulrike Braeckman, Bea Merckx, Magda VincxGhent University,
Biology Department, Marine Biology Research Group, Gent, Belgium
Abstract
C
ommunity analysis of nematode communities from the Belgian Continental
S
helf shows that nematode composition and diversity is significantly affected by
median grain size. Fine-grained sediments (median grain size <200µm) were
i
nhabited by communities characterised by non-selective deposit feeding
nematodes. Nematode communities from coarser sediments were characterised
by a higher diversity and the presence of all feeding types. These differences are
r
elated to sediment permeability and the resulting biogeochemical environment,
r
ather than by granulometry and food availability.
While in permeable sediments, vertical (small-scale) patterns in diversity and
f
ood web structure are absent, such patterns are obvious in non-permeable
s
ediments. We show that macrofaunal functional diversity clearly affects
n
ematode communities in fine sediments, through its bioturbation and bio-
i
rrigation activities. Nematode community composition and diversity was
significantly affected by macrofaunal functional identity in experimental set-ups.
In the presence of the bio-irrigating Lanice conchilega, nematode subsurface
densities peaks were found until 7 cm depth, indicating a polychaete-mediated
habitat extension. In treatments with the bivalve A. alba, nematodes shift
downwards to avoid disturbance and exploitative competition by the bivalve
siphons at the surface, while benefiting from deposited faecal pellets in the
subsurface. We conclude that functionally contrasting macrofaunal identities
s
hape nematode communities in different ways.
13/0193
P
lant biodiversity and shading stress: effects of plant species richness for
r
esistance and recovery of the seagrass Zostera marina
C
amilla Gustafsson
,
Christoffer Boström
Åbo Akademi University, Åbo, Finland
Abstract
A
lthough many seagrass meadows are multispecific, plant diversity effects on
e
cosystem stability properties e.g. resistance and recovery are poorly
understood. To study to what extent plant species richness might act as an
i
nsurance against environmental stress in terms of reduced irradiance levels, a
2.5 mo factorial field experiment using shading screens was conducted in the
Baltic Sea. Treatments consisted of Zostera marina growing in monocultures and
p
olycultures with three other angiosperm species. The aim was to investigate
s
tress responses and possible diversity effects on processes e.g. biomass and
s
hoot density production and allocation of carbohydrates. Z. marina growing in
p
olycultures had higher resistance to shading for most biomass production
v
ariables, while the increase in biomass production after shading was higher in
monocultures than in polycultures. Carbohydrates, especially leaf sucrose levels
decreased rapidly during shading in both diversity treatments. These results
indicate that plant community diversity enhances the resistance of Z. marina to
environmental stress, while recovery appears to be faster in monocultures. The
results are among the first to demonstrate that effects of human induced stress
i
n vegetated coastal ecosystems might be dampened by plant species richness.
T
hus, plant species loss might reduce stress resistance and accelerate loss of
habitat.
1
3/0210
H
ot spot of marine biodiversity in the Mediterranean Sea: the case of soft
bottom communities from the Algerian coast
Samir Grimes
2
, Ali Bakalem
1
, Jean-Claude Dauvin
3
1
E
cole Nationale Supérieure Agronomique, Alger, Algeria,
2
E
cole Nationale
Supérieure des Sciences de la Mer et de l’Aménagement du Littoral (ESSMAL), Alger,
A
lgeria,
3
C
aen University, France
Abstract
T
he Mediterranean Sea is known as a biodiversity hot spot (> 17,000 species). But
the knowledge along the south-western part remained scarce, while the Strait of
G
ibraltar and the Alboran Sea, appears well studied. Since the two last decades,
sampling of soft-bottom communities along the 1,200 km of the shallow (0-110
m
) Algerian coast had recorded > 1,500 macrobenthic species corresponding to
70% of the amphipods, 60% of the polychaetes and 30 % of the echinodermata
identify in the western Mediterranean Sea. Quantitative samplings show that the
species richness (> 100 species for 0.2 m
-
2
), the Shannon diversity (> 6.0), and the
ES
50
(>34) are among the highest for similar communities of the Mediterranean
Sea and the NE Atlantic Ocean, while the abundances remain moderate (< 1,000
ind.m
-2
). There is a west-east decreasing gradient of species richness. The Bou
Ismail Bay appears the richest probably explain by unpolluted variety of fine to
coarse habitats. Most of the species live in several types of sediment and there
are difficulties to identify well-known communities in such diversified areas.
Monitoring must be undertaken to survey such 1990’s biodiversity and a national
strategy should be proposed to conserve such high diversity areas.
1
3/0259
F
unctional diversity of nematode assemblages in the subequatorial NE
Pacific’s abyssal nodule field
Teresa Radziejewska
1
, Valentina Galtsova
1
1
P
alaeoceanology Unit, University of Szczecin, Szczecin, Poland,
2
R
ussian State
Hydrometeorological University, St. Petersburg, Russian Federation
Abstract
F
unctional diversity reflects the extent of functional differences among taxa in a
c
ommunity and indicates resource use complementarity. It is explored with the
Biological Trait Analysis (BTA) which describes aspects of function based on
s
pecific traits. We applied BTA to assemblages of deep-sea nematodes, a major
component of the abyssal metazoan meiofauna to ask whether the high genus-
l
evel taxonomic diversity of the assemblages is reflected in their functional
complexity, and whether a temporal shift in resource availability affects the
functional structure of the assemblages. Our analysis used buccal cavity
structure, tail shape, adult size, adult shape, and life history strategy (colonizer
versus persister) as traits assumed to represent different functions. The
nematode assemblages analysed were sampled from 4200-4300 m depth in the
eastern part of the Clarion-Clipperton Fracture Zone (CCFZ) (subequatorial NE
Pacific) known as an extensive polymetallic nodule field. The samples were
collected from nodulised and nodule-free patches of the seafloor. Functional
diversity of the taxonomically complex assemblages (a total of about 230 genera)
was relatively low, a rather stable set of persistent traits being present. However,
the assemblages analysed showed a signature of functional response to a
change in environmental conditions represented by phytodetritus sedimentation.
13/0290
Impacts of polychaete diversity on ecosystem services
Ashley Robar
, Paul Snelgrove, Kim Juniper
Memorial University, St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada
Abstract
Macrofauna feeding and burrowing activities mix oxygen and organic matter into
deeper sediments, recycling nutrients and enabling survival of other organisms.
We collected 39 multicore benthic sediment samples across 4 basins within the
Gulf of Maine in August, 2009. In total, 3680 polychaete specimens were
identified into ~40 families. In addition to macrofaunal diversity, we measured
ecosystem services in the form of bioturbation metrics (hypoxia depth,
chlorophyll-a and phaeopigment concentrations) and microbial abundance.
Family level polychaete diversity correlated significantly, though weakly, with
chlorophyll-a in surface layers (0.048) and phaeopigment concentrations at
intermediate sediment layers (0.040), but oxygen penetration and microbial
abundance were unrelated to polychaete diversity in any depth horizon.
Chlorophyll-a and phaeopigment concentrations differed significantly across
basins at intermediate layers (p=0.019 and 0.014 respectively). No correlations
were found among ecosystem services. Polychaete diversity (family level)
differed significantly across basins (p=0.041) and depth horizons (p=0.001), with
highest diversity at sediment surfaces. Multidimensional scaling plots show
macrofaunal differences among surface layer macrofauna in the four basins, but
no differences in subsurface sediment layers. We will expand these early
findings to other macrofauna (molluscs, crustaceans, and echinoderms) to
determine whether infaunal diversity predicts ecosystem services and how these
services vary across basins.
13/0313
Meiobenthos of Nizampatnam Bay, Bay of Bengal with Special Emphasis on
Nematode Community Structure
ANNAPURNA Chandrabhotla
, Vijaya Bhanu Chilakamarthi
Andhra University, Visakhapatnam, India
Abstract
Study on the meiobenthic fauna at 20 subtidal locations (10-30m) of
Nizampatnam Bay (15
0
28’ - 15
0
48
’
N and 80
0
17
’
- 80
0
47
’
E), during two consequent
Post-monsoon seasons (October-November 2006, 2007) and two Pre-monsoon
seasons (March-April 2007, 2008) revealed nematoda, copepoda and polychaeta
were the dominant groups. Nematoda represented by 62 species belonging to 38
genera and 20 families were identified. Meiofaunal (mean) abundance ranged
from 22 to 349 nos.10cm
-
². Meiobenthic (mean) biomass ranged between 0.02
and 3.19 mg.10cm
-2
. On the whole, nematodes constituted 65% of the total
meiofauna in terms of numerical abundance. Nematode diversity was medium
(H’: ranging from 2.07 and 3.51, mean 2.98±0.04) but, J’ was higher (0.80 and
0.97, mean 0.92±0.004). Based on Bray-Curtis similarity and multi dimensional
scaling, it was possible to demonstrate two distinct assemblages among
nematodes favoured by depth classes namely Spilophorella euxina and
Sphaerolaimus balticus assemblage Group I (<15 m depth) and Spilophorella sp.
and Daptonema invagiferoum assemblage Group II (>15 m depth). Canonical
correspondence analysis showed that depth, sand, clay, silt fractions, mean
particle diameter and organic matter have influenced the nematode distribution.
This study therefore provides key information on the biodiversity of nematode
communities of the Nizampatnam Bay
59
13/0341
I
nfluence of Seasonal Environmental Condition on Condition Index of Marine
S
ubtidal Species, Anadara granosa (Bivalvia: Arcidae) in the Northern Straits of
Malacca
M
unawar Khalil
1
,
Zulfigar Yasin
2
,
Tan Shau Hwai Aileen
2
1
U
niversity of Malikussaleh, Aceh, Indonesia,
2
U
niversiti Sains Malaysia, Pulau
P
inang, Malaysia,
3
U
niversiti Sains Malaysia, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
Abstract
The condition index (CI) is reflection of the seasonal reproductive cycle and
r
epresents an ecophysiological approach of bivalves. Samples were collected in
June 2009 until September 2010 in Banda Aceh and Lhokseumawe, Indonesia
and in Pulau Pinang, Malaysia. The highest CI in Banda Aceh sampling site was
o
bserved in June 2010 (11.21±2.64) whereas the lowest was observed in
S
eptember 2010 (8.20 ± 3.03). In Lhokseumawe, the highest CI was observed in
S
eptember 2010 (14.15 ± 3.14) and the lowest showed in January 2010 (6.76 ±
1
.13). The fluctuated in CI was shown in Pulau Pinang sampling site, which is the
h
ighest CI, was observed in March 2010 (15.74 ± 2.95) and the lowest in
November 2009 (9.50 ± 2.15). Cockle population had shown that cockles spawned
throughout the years and figured fluctuation in reproductive cycle gradient with
difference time and rate. The spawning period of the population species of A.
granosa coincided with the drastic daily fluctuation in temperature and salinity.
Analyses demonstrated that temperature and salinity were the main modulators
a
nd main trigger and an active response for cockle to perform reproductive
e
vents, possibly inducing a survival strategy whereby the spawning period is
extended to increase reproductive success.
13/0364
C
omparative estimation of morphometry and fluctuating asymmetry of pacific
o
ysters (crassostrea gigas thunberg), diploids and triploids, introduced into the
black sea.
O
ksana Vyalova
1
,
Aleksandr Zolotnitsky
1
,
Anna Zhavoronkova
1
1
I
nstitute of biology of the southern seas, Sevastopol, Ukraine,
2
K
erch State Marine
T
echnological University, Kerch, Ukraine
Abstract
The symmetry and asymmetry of biological objects are one of the fundamental
c
onceptions of the contemporary biology. Directional asymmetry takes place
under which the morphological difference between sides as well as its trend is
genetically determined. Fluctuating asymmetry is the deviation from the average
a
symmetry. Here we report preliminary observations of morphometric indices
a
nd FA of the Pacific oysters Crassostrea gigas (Thunberg), diploids and triploids,
i
nduced from the French oyster nurseries at the marine farm for growing (the
B
lack sea, Southern Coast of Ukraine).
S
hells of one-year C.gigas were collected from the oyster cages for laboratory
m
easurements. All investigated shells were clean, dried and sorted into 5 size
g
roups: 20-30, 30-40, 40-50, 50-60 and 60-70 mm. Linear sizes and mass of
valves of triploid oysters were more than for even-aged diploid molluscs. The
level of fluctuating asymmetry (FA) of diploids was clearly higher than FA of
triploid forms. Frequency of occurrence of asymmetric specimens was maximal
in the group of 20-30mm and their levels were as 42% (diploids) and 35%
(triploids). FA of shell decreased as far as growth of oysters.
1
3/0374
I
n a changing world: Temporal patterns of parasitism on an intertidal mudflat
Anja Studer
, Robert Poulin
University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
Abstract
P
arasites are an integral component of marine ecosystems and their biodiversity.
Changes in environmental conditions are known to strongly influence the
d
ynamics and patterns of diseases and parasitism. We investigated seasonal
p
atterns of all hosts (i.e. birds, snails and amphipods) involved in the complex life
cycle of an intertidal trematode parasite (Maritrema novaezealandensis) in terms
o
f host abundance/density (all hosts), the proportion of infected hosts and their
infection intensities (number of parasites per infected individual) (snails and
a
mphipods) on a mudflat with high prevalence of infection. Various seasonal
patterns were identified including great differences in prevalence and infection
intensities in second intermediate amphipod hosts. The results support the
notion that the transmission of this parasite takes place mainly during warmer
months when the water in tide pools warms up and when all hosts are available
in large numbers. The potential effect of global warming on this system is likely
to result in an increase in the overall level of parasitism in amphipod populations
as well as an increased risk of parasite- and temperature-induced mortality
under exceptional circumstances such as heat waves. We modelled the dynamics
of this life cycle in response to predicted temperature increases and discuss
these results.
1
3/0404
M
acrobenthic Diversity of Nizampatnam Bay, Bay of Bengal.
Mosuri Srinivasa Rao
, Chandrabhotla Annapurna
Andhra University, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India
Abstract
T
he community structure of macrobenthos (epifauna) from the Nizampatnam
Bay, east coast of India, Bay of Bengal was analyzed in this study. The
m
acrobenthos were collected from 20 stations at depths ranging from 10 to 30m
d
uring two consequent Post-monsoon seasons (October-November 2006, 2007)
and two Pre-monsoon seasons (March-April 2007, 2008) between latitudes
1
5
0
2
8’ to 15
0
4
8
‘
N
and longitudes 80
0
1
7
‘
t
o 80
0
4
7
‘
E
. Altogether 128 sediment
samples were analysed and 211 macrobenthic species were identified.
M
acrobenthic diversity was medium (Shannon-Wiener H’: ranging from 0.464 to
3.438, mean 2.337±0.082) but, Pielou’s Evenness Index (J’)] was higher (0.335 to
1, mean 2.15±0.117). Using multivariate statistical techniques two macrobenthic
associations could be recognized from the Nizampatnam Bay, namely Anthozoa,
Ceratoplax hispida and Echiuroids assemblage Group I (<15m depth region) and
Portunus hastotoides, Portunus gladitor and shrimp assemblage Group II (>15m
depth region). Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) showed that depth,
bottom water temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, %sand, %clay, %silt, mean
particle diameter, and %organic matter have influenced the macrobenhic
distribution. The macrobenthic numerical abundance negatively correlated with
depth (p<0.01) and positively correlated with bottom water temperature (p<0.05).
This study therefore provides key information on the biodiversity of macrobenthic
communities of the Nizampatnam Bay.
13/0422
Scaling-up benthic functional diversity: Patterns in a system rich in functions,
but poor in species
Anna Törnroos
, Katri Aarnio, Erik Bonsdorff
Dep. of Biosciences, Environmental and Marine Biology, Åbo Akademi University,
Åbo, Finland
Abstract
Benthic communities constitute the largest areal coverage of fauna on earth.
These harbour diverse faunal assemblages that provide large numbers of
functions and ecosystem services. However, the relative importance and linkage
of species-specific performances, or traits, to functioning of benthic ecosystems
is poorly understood. The scale on which this functional diversity matters is even
less adequately studied. We present benthic functional diversity patterns
covering long-term (10 years) and large spatial scale (1250 km of coastline, 776
stations) data from the northern Baltic Sea. Within these scales, faunal
communities are exposed to naturally occurring stress gradients (salinity range:
1-7 psu) and varying anthropogenic stress levels (e.g. nutrient enrichment,
oxygen deficiency). A total of 23 biological traits, both intimately and indirectly
linked to ecological functioning, were assigned to all benthic taxa found (in total
56). Results suggest that this coastal system, with a relatively low species
number, may still provide a surprisingly high functional diversity. We propose
that the range of variability in trait expression may be of high importance for
functioning on large temporal and spatial scales. These findings highlight the
significance of incorporating scale issues of benthic functional diversity into
marine spatial planning.
13/0453
Long-term changes in the production of estuarine macrobenthos affected by
multiple stressors
Marina Dolbeth
1
, Patrícia Cardoso
2
, Tiago Grilo
1
, Maria Bordalo
1
, Dave Raffaelli
3
,
Miguel Pardal
1
1
Centre for Functional Ecology, Portugal,
2
Institute of Marine Research, Marine and
Environmental Research Centre (IMAR-CMA), Portugal,
3
Environment Department,
University of York, UK
Abstract
The estuarine macrobenthic production was evaluated over a 14-year period in a
seagrass bed and in a sandflat area. Over this period, eutrophication and
extreme weather events occurred, impairing system functioning and ultimately
the goods and services provided by the estuary (seagrass bed decline, decreased
community production and/or a boost in production of opportunist species, such
as Hydrobia ulvae and several polychaetes). Following the anthropogenic
impacts, mitigation measures were introduced which allowed a gradual recovery
of the seagrass bed and a new benthic community structure with production
increases of slow-growing species (Scrobicularia plana and Hediste diversicolor).
There was a gradual re-orientation of energy into biomass instead of density, but
this was not translated into higher community production, due to decreased
production of opportunist species. Several weather extremes occurred during
this post-mitigation phase - floods, heat waves and droughts, all of which had
negative impacts on macrobenthic dynamics and production. The heat waves
lead to the greatest decreases in macrobenthic production. The frequency and
intensity of extreme weather events are likely to increase worldwide, so that the
recovery from impacts like eutrophication may be seriously affected by these
additional stressors, compromising attempts to improve the ecological quality of
estuarine ecosystems.
60
13/0460
S
urprising variation in the oxygen metabolism of grazing molluscs.
Nicholas Carey
1
, Alexander Galkin
1
, Jeffrey Richards
2
, Julia Sigwart
1
1
Q
ueen’s University Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK,
2
U
niversity of British Columbia,
Vancouver, Canada
Abstract
W
e present the results of experiments designed to assess the oxygen
m
etabolism of different lineages of polyplacophoran molluscs. Our results show
a surprising degree of variation in oxygen metabolism within a functionally
s
imilar group, the chitons. The fossil record suggests chitons have undergone
little morphological adaptation in hundreds of millions of years, and it has been
reasonable to suppose physiological adaptation is similarly minor. The more
a
ncient Lepidopleurida clade has survived historical atmospheric CO
2
h
ighs,
s
ubsequent to which the Chitonida clade diverged. As such, chitons are a model
g
roup for examining how physiological traits may reflect adaptations to past
a
tmospheric conditions. In contemporary biodiversity or climate change impact
s
tudies there is often a tendency to group together co-occurring, morphologically
similar species like chitons into single ecological functional groups, with the
assumption that impacts upon them will be relatively uniform. Our results show
this may not be the case, that co-occurring species from different clades may
have widely differing reactions to changing ocean conditions, and physiological
ability may be evolving more rapidly than superficial morphology may suggest.
T
his work will help predict the impacts of changing ocean chemistry on
p
articular taxonomic groups, and thus on habitats and biodiversity.
13/0470
F
unctional Diversity Effects on Ecosystem Functioning of Macroalgal
A
ssemblages
L
aure Noël
1
,
Richard Thompson
3
,
Steve Hawkins
4
,
Michael Burrows
5
,
Tasman
C
rowe
6
,
Stuart Jenkins
2
1
U
MPC Univ. Paris 6, CNRS, UMR 7144, Station Biologique, Roscoff, France,
2
T
he
M
arine Biological Association, Plymouth, UK,
3
U
niversity of Plymouth, Plymouth, UK,
4
U
niversity of Wales, Bangor, UK,
5
S
cottish Association for Marine Science, Oban, UK,
6
U
niversity College Dublin, Dublin, UK
A
bstract
Macroalgal assemblages are among the major primary producers of intertidal
areas. Their functioning is threatened by large canopy loss owning to
a
nthropogenic activities and climate change. However, consequences of this
b
iodiversity loss on primary production have rarely been assessed considering
t
he whole algal community. Little attention was given to species and functional
g
roup interactions and their role in ecosystem production. In this study, direct
a
ssessment of the way in which macroalgal biodiversity influence productivity
was conducted through photosynthesis-irradiance relationships (P-I curves).
Three morphological groups (turf, subcanopy, canopy) and species included in
each group were manipulated in the laboratory to test for light resource
partitioning in primary productivity using additive and replacement designs.
There was strong competition for light resources when more than one
m
orphological functional group or species was included in the assemblages.
H
ence rather than a positive effect of functional diversity, strong negative
interspecific competition was observed.
1
3/0507
S
yllidae as indicators of anthropogenic impact on benthic assemblages
Cindy Grant
1
, Philippe Archambault
1
, Frédéric Olivier
2
, Christopher McKindsey
3
1
Université du Québec à Rimouski, Rimouski, Québec, Canada,
2
Muséum National
d
’Histoire Naturelle, Dinard, France,
3
F
isheries and Oceans Canada, Mont-Joli,
Québec, Canada
Abstract
T
he small-scale influence of mussel farming on benthic infaunal communities
w
as studied in the intertidal zone of the Chausey Archipelago (Normand-Breton
Gulf, France). In this highly dynamic system (tidal amplitude ≈ 14 m), mussel
a
quaculture structures (bouchots) are subjected to strong currents that disperse
biodeposits. We found that mussel farming causes minor modifications of the
b
enthic environment but also observed that bouchots enhance environmental
heterogeneity by modifying the dominance of several species, including several
species of Syllidae (Polychaeta). Twenty one species of Syllidae were identified in
this area, including two new species of Prosphaerosyllis and several new reports
for the North-East Atlantic, France, and the English Channel. This family appears
to be sensitive to sedimentary characteristics of intertidal coarse sediment
habitats. Results of this study will be discussed in the context of marine
conservation of natural habitats, with the potential use of Syllids as biological
indicators to measure mussel farming influences on the benthic ecosystem.
1
3/0559
D
iversity and Ecological Role of Marine Fungi Associated to Mediterranean
Seagrasses and Algae.
Luigi Panno
, Samuele Voyron, Antonella Anastasi, Giovanna Cristina Varese
M
ycoteca Universitatis Taurinensis (M.U.T.), Department of Plant Biology, Faculty of
Science M.F.N., University of Turin, turin, Italy
Abstract
M
arine-fungi are organisms poorly studied, extremely important from an
e
cological and biotechnological point of view. Today, few obligate marine-fungi
can be found in the literature and information on facultative-fungi are even more
c
onfusing.
T
he ecological role of these fungi is very important because all substrates
present in marine environments can be colonized. Nevertheless, only few
s
ubstrates were studied so far and date are very scanty. Moreover, research on
the chemistry of marine fungi demonstrated the great versatility in biotechnology
and pharmacology.
The aim of study was to isolate and identify the mycoflora associated with the
seagrass Posidonia oceanica, the brown alga Flabellia petiolata and the green
alga Padina pavonia. These substrates belong to a seriously threatened
phytocenose extremely important for the Mediterranean Sea. The main goals
were: to compare from a quali/quantitative point of view the three mycofloras to
understand the biodiversity and the ecological role of fungi on these substrates.
In addition, since microbial cultivation is the emerging frontier in marine
microbiology/biotechnology, an important aim was to check the effect of
abiotic/biotic parameters on the growth and sporulation of fungi and to create a
collection of these organisms at the Mycotheca Universitatis Taurinensis (M.U.T.).
13/0621
Press and pulse organic matter disturbance’s impact on the benthic food web,
a benthocosm experiment.
Cécile Renault
1
, Philippe Archambault
1
, Christian Nozais
2
, Gwenaëlle Chaillou
2
,
Aurélia Mouret
1
1
Ismer, Rimouski, Quebec, Canada,
2
UQAR, Rimouski, Quebec, Canada
Abstract
The deep subtidal benthic community depends on organic matter that
sedimented on the seafloor. In this study, two types of organic matter
disturbances have been distinguished: “pulse” disturbance is a high intensity
disturbance for short period of time and “press” disturbance, which is a regular
and chronic disturbance over a long period. The aim of this study is to monitor
the progress of organic matter in the food web during a press and a pulse
disturbance. Benthocosm were used to perform a controlled experiment. Eight
benthocosms were collected from the Laurentian Channel (Quebec, Canada, 350
m depth) in July 2010 and have been placed in basin. Each benthocosm has value
of 70 L and salinity, temperature and food supply were closely monitored.
To monitor the organic matter progress within the food web, isotopic analysis of
carbon and nitrogen has been used. The whole food web and even organic matter
in water and sediment were analyzed. Theses analyses are still in progress and
will be presented during the conference.
This experiment will allow us to determine the dynamic of a benthic community
when different type of disturbance occurs and will help to understand the rule of
benthic community and ecosystem functioning.
13/0628
A multiple approach to understand the biodiversity - ecosystem functioning
relationship in a benthic system
Adeline Piot
1
, Christian Nozais
2
, Philippe Archambault
1
, Christopher McKindsey
1
1
Université du Québec à Rimouski / Institut des Sciences de la mer à Rimouski,
Canada,
2
Université du Québec à Rimouski, Canada,
3
Maurice Lamontagne Institut,
Canada
Abstract
Environmental modifications have increased greatly over the last few decades.
Thus, assessing the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning
(BEF) has become a topic of major interest. Three different approaches are
commonly used to characterise BEF relationships: species functional traits, the
study of species interactions, and the effect of each species on multiple
ecosystem processes. As part of the CHONe objectives, we used all three
approaches simultaneously to better understand the BEF relationship and
identify more realistic scenarios. Experiments were done under controlled
conditions using three infaunal species (Alitta virens, Macoma balthica, Mya
arenaria) and a meiofaunal complex as model species. Sixteen combinations of 0
to 4 species were maintained in microcosms for 34 days. The sediment organic
matter content, bacterial abundance, oxygen and nutrient fluxes across the
sediment-water interface were measured. We observed dominant trophic or
non-trophic interactions between species and/or measured properties. Alitta
virens induced sediment oxygenation which strongly modified biogeochemical
fluxes and reduced meiofaunal abundance. M. balthica decreased sediment
organic matter and bacterial content, whereas M. arenaria alone had little effect
on the system. Our study highlights the importance of using multiple approaches
to understand ecosystem functioning, in the context of ecological and economic
impacts of biodiversity.
61
13/0634
A
nnual Variation in Benthic Ecosystem Functioning in the Canadian Arctic
Heike Link
1
, Dieter Piepenburg
2
, Philippe Archambault
1
1
I
nstitut des sciences de la mer à Rimouski - Université du Québec à Rimouski,
Rimouski, QC, Canada,
2
Mainz Academy of Sciences, the Humanities and Literature,
c
/o Institute for Polar Ecology of the University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany
Abstract
B
enthic ecosystem functioning (BEF) on Arctic shelves is strongly influenced by
pronounced seasonal processes and shows high spatial variation among and
w
ithin regions. This distinct spatio-temporal variability impedes the detection of
long-term shifts in BEF in response to the rapid climate change in the Arctic.
Here, we explore interannual changes in BEF at 10 sites distributed in the
C
anadian Arctic between the Beaufort Sea and Baffin Bay, each sampled in the
s
ame season (summer or fall) once in 2008 and once in 2009. We hypothesised
t
hat (a) interannual changes in BEF are more pronounced at benthic ‘hot spots’
t
han at ‘cold spots’ and (b) food availability and functional diversity predict
b
enthic remineralisation. We found that benthic remineralisation (carbon, silicic
acid, phosphate) differed significantly between the two years, and changes were
higher at hot spots. Sediment chlorophyll a concentration (proxy for food supply)
and functional diversity showed different temporal patterns, but together did
explain variation in benthic remineralisation best. These findings suggest that
the predicted changes in polar ecosystems, resulting in less food supply to the
b
enthos, will reduce benthic functional diversity and BEF on Arctic shelves.
13/0643
D
isentangling the effects of multiple stressors on the diversity and functioning
o
f a marine benthic ecosystem
N
essa O’Connor
1
,
Ian Donohue
1
1
Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, UK,
2
Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
Abstract
W
e understand very little about the interactive effects of multiple anthropogenic
s
tressors on natural communities and how this relates to biodiversity and
ecosystem functioning. The cumulative effects of stressors may be additive,
s
ynergistic or antagonistic and understanding these interactions requires
experimental manipulation. Findings from longer term field experiments, based
on realistic estimates of diversity at local scales, are essential to develop a more
u
seful perspective for conservation management. We manipulated the presence
o
f key functional groups at multiple trophic levels on a rocky shore and tested for
e
ffects of their loss on the diversity and biomass of algal assemblages. In a
f
actorial design, we examined the effects of loss of a predator, the dog whelk
(
Nucella lapillus), and two groups of its prey, grazing gastropods (Patella vulgata,
Littorina littorea and Gibbula umbilicalis) and mussels (Mytilus edulis), on algal
assemblages at ambient and enhanced nutrient concentrations. Manipulation of
water column nutrient concentrations allowed us to test for interactions between
the loss of functional diversity and nutrient enrichment. Algal assemblages were
monitored regularly throughout the experiment and after 14 months destructive
s
amples were taken to quantify the biomass of each algal species. These results
w
ill be presented.
1
3/0694
E
cological assessment of intertidal meiofaunal diversity from Chennai coast,
India
Karim Altaff
, M. S. Naveed, Jaganathan Sugumaran
T
he New College, Chennai, Tamilnadu, India
Abstract
Meiofauna play a significant role in ecological processes and ecosystem
f
unctioning in aquatic habitats. In the present study, meiofauna from two sandy
b
eaches namely Royapuram and Marina (Chennai coast, Tamilnadu, Southern
India) which show variations in their hydrodynamic characteristics were studied,
w
ith emphasis on their diversity, density and ecological indices. Physico-
chemical parameters like temperature, pH, salinity, dissolved oxygen and
g
ranulometry were recorded. Density of meiofauna was higher in Royapuram
ranging from 2833 ± 632 to 51080 ± 4034 Ind. / 10 cm
2
. The predominant
meiofaunal taxa at Royapuram were Oligochaetes, Nematodes and
Turbellarians; at Marina it was Harpacticoids, Nematodes and Oligochaetes.
Diversity was higher in Marina with the occurrence of 25 taxa and 99 genera /
species with predominance of Nematodes, Harpacticoids and Turbellarians.
Based on the physico-chemical parameters, Nematode / Copepod ratio and
ecological indices like dominance, evenness and diversity, it was evident that
Royapuram is subjected to higher incidence of pollution when compared to
Marina. This study is a base line investigation on the distribution patterns of
meiofauna and would be useful in the future monitoring of the ecological status
of these habitats as meiofauna are excellent sentinels of aquatic pollution.
1
3/0704
B
iodiversity and seasonal variation of macro- benthic community in
Pondicherry mangroves, South East coast of India
Satheeshkumar Palanisamy
1
, Anisa Basheer Khan
2
, N. Goplalakrishna Pillai
1
1
C
entral Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Ernakulam, Kerala, India,
2
P
ondicherry
University, Kalapet, Puducherry, India
Abstract
P
attern of species composition and abundance of the macrofauna was surveyed
a
t Pondicherry mangroves. Data collected during (September 2008 to August
2009) was from four stations at the mangrove area - Veerampattinam,
T
hengaithiitu, Ariyankuppam and Murungapakkam. This present study deals with
nature stock of macrobenthic fauna and influence of environmental properties in
P
ondicherry mangrove benthic community in the South east coast of India.
Totally 144 samples (Vanveengrab 0.1 m
2
) were collected which revealed the
occurrence of 68 species belonging to five diverse groups. Macro fauna was
mainly composed of deposit feeders, dominated numerically by molluscs.
Macrobenthic species density ranged between 140-1113 ind.m
-
2
, diversity ranged
from 1.83-2.83 bits ind
-1
, richness varied between 0.47-0.74 and evenness varied
between 0.56-0.72. Maximum diversity was recorded during postmonsoon at
station 1 and minimum diversity during monsoon at station 2. Higher salinity
stretches indicated higher abundance, and subsequently decrease with a
progressive decrease in salinity among the four stations. Results of cluster
analyses suggest that for mangrove region, different physiographic provinces,
lower salinity, DO and sediment biotic structure have a higher influence on the
species composition and diversity than other oceanographic condition.
13/0710
Structural and functional diversity associated with Haploops community
Carinne Rigolet
2
, Stanislas Dubois
2
, Eric Thiébaut
1
1
Station Biologique de Roscoff, Roscoff, France,
2
Ifremer, Plouzané, France
Abstract
Macrofauna of successional soft-bottom muddy communities (i.e. Sternaspis
pure mud community, Amphiura sandy mud community and Haploops
consolidated mud community) was sampled from two bays of South Brittany to
link the composition of macrofauna diversity with the functioning and the
structure of trophic web. Analysis of the diversity and species assemblages
revealed mainly differences in compositions rather than large differences in
biodiversity indices between habitats. Stable isotopes were used to quantitatively
characterize community-wide aspects of trophic structure in each habitat, such
as the convex hull area occupied by species in a 13C - 15N biplot as a
representation of the total extent of trophic diversity within a food web, or the
mean nearest neighbor distance among all species pairs as a measure of
species packing within trophic niche space and an indication of redundancy in
trophic structure. The general structure of each habitat remained fairly
consistent in the two bays. Within each bay, Amphiura community has a lower
diversity in macrofauna predators and a lower diversity in basal resources.
Haploops and Sternaspis communities are similarly structured but isotopic
indices are always higher in Sternaspis communities, indicating less niche
overlapping and less trophic competition and possibly an overall larger trophic
diversity.
13/0743
In two waters: contemporary evolution of lagoon and marine populations.
Mercedes González-Wangüemert
1
, José Martínez-Garrido
1
, Fernando Canovas
1
,
Carlos Vergara-Chen
2
, Ester Serrão
1
1
Centro de Ciências do Mar (CCMAR), Universidade do Algarve, Faro, Portugal,
2
University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
Abstract
Coastal lagoon habitats display the particular characteristics of being discrete in
nature and subjected to wide variations in environmental parameters. These
habitats harbour enormous biological productivity and play a pivotal role as
nursery areas and feeding grounds for marine estuarine residents and visitants.
The organisms that survive in these ecosystems are often subjected to strong
selective pressures.
The aim of this work was to test whether there is genetic divergence in coastal
lagoon populations of several species from different links of the trophic chain,
using mitochondrial and nuclear markers. To reach this objective we sampled: a
canopy species, Ruppia sp, a filterer, Cerastoderma edule and an omnivore,
Diplodus sargus, inside and outside of coastal lagoons, Mar Menor (SE Spain)
and/or Ria Formosa (South Portugal).
The highest values of genetic diversity were recorded inside both coastal
lagoons. Population divergence (FST) pairwise comparisons and AMOVAs
detected some weak differences between groups. However, some haplotypes
were only detected within both coastal lagoon samples and these localities
showed the highest number of singletons, some of them with a high number of
mutations. These patterns can be a signature of the influence of habitat
differences on genetic diversity and/or selection, among the possible explanatory
hypotheses.
62
13/0779
A
ssessing the conservation status of marine habitats: an example from a
s
andflat on the Isles of Scilly.
P
aul J. Somerfield
,
Richard M. Warwick
Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Plymouth, UK
Abstract
M
onitoring of infaunal macrofauna was carried out in three sediment biotopes on
t
hree occasions (2000, 2004, 2009) to assess compliance with conservation
objectives, that average sediment particle size parameters and composite
s
pecies, abundance and diversity should not deviate significantly from an
established baseline, subject to natural change. Multivariate analysis shows that
the species compositions of the three biotopes remained completely distinct over
t
ime, although none of them correspond to previously-recognized biotopes in the
J
NCC/EUNIS classification. In one biotope there was a dramatic drop in number
o
f species, number of individuals and in all species diversity measures between
2
000 and 2009. We argue, both from this case study and more generally, that
s
etting fixed limits on natural variability for the purpose of formulating
conservation targets is almost always impractical, and that more global
approaches to distinguishing between natural and anthropogenic changes might
be more appropriate. Setting marine conservation objectives that include the
range and number of biotopes as attributes and targets cannot be supported, in
view the difficulty in ascribing assemblages to recognised biotopes and variability
o
bserved within biotopes in this study. We suggest a more robust approach to
d
efining species assemblage composition, tailored to specific sites.
13/0807
A
ssessment of ecosystem health in marine environments focussing on the
b
enthos
F
iona Culhane
1
,
Paul Tett
2
,
Teresa F. Fernandes
3
1
Edinburgh Napier University, Edinburgh, UK,
2
Scottish Association for Marine
S
cience, Oban, UK,
3
H
eriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, UK
Abstract
T
his study evaluates current methods and approaches used in assessment of
ecosystem health in transitional and coastal waters. Specifically, this study
c
onsiders outcomes of structural and functional macrozoobenthos based
assessment methods by evaluating and comparing the performance of a range of
standard benthic abundance indices and the results of another approach
f
ocussing on intrinsic biological characteristics.
T
he EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive specifies the protection of
e
nvironmental status including ‘structure, function and processes’ of
e
cosystems. Currently used indicators are based mainly on structural
c
omponents of the ecosystem such as abundance, biomass and species
richness, or derivatives thereof. Structural properties display high natural
variability making interpretation of small changes difficult. Disturbance theory
suggests structural properties can change rapidly beyond a threshold where
resistance is exceeded and once damaged, recovery is difficult or impossible.
Indicators of function are expected to be less variable and may allow detection of
t
rends towards disturbance while recovery still remains possible. Functional
i
ndicators require development and testing. In this study, the performance of a
working measure of function, biological traits analysis, was compared with
structural indicators in assessing impacted and unimpacted sites. Results
indicate that complementarity of approaches is important in quality assessment
of marine benthic systems.
1
3/1146
E
ffects of macrobenthic diversity and species composition on free-living
nematodes and ecosystem processes in shallow sandy littoral sediments
(
Southern Baltic Sea)
B
arbara Urban-Malinga
,
Aleksander Drgas
Sea Fisheries Institute, Gdynia, Poland
Abstract
L
aboratory experiment focused on the impact of macrofaunal species
c
omposition and diversity on biogeochemical processes (oxygen uptake,
nutrients excretion, porewater chemistry) and free-living nematode community
s
tructure and diversity was performed. Three macrofaunal species typical for the
shallow sandy littoral of the Gulf of Gda sk (southern Baltic Sea), differing in
t
erms of burrowing activity (Hediste diversicolor, Cerastoderma glaucum and Mya
arenaria) were selected for the study. Macrofauna significantly affected both the
ecosystem processes and nematode community structure. The impact of deep
burrower H. diversicolor was the most pronounced both in monoculture and in
mixtures with other species suggesting a prominent role of this species in
benthic environment. All treatments with H. diversicolor produced a similar effect
on nematode diversity and sediment processes. It is concluded that not the
disturbance intensity but type of disturbance/activity of the burrower play a
crucial role in ecosystem functioning.
1
3/1148
T
he effects of an invasive bivalve, Nuttallia obscurata, on biogeochemical
cycling in the intertidal
Kayi Chan
, Leah Bendell
S
imon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
Abstract
Since its introduction into Vancouver Harbour, British Columbia (Canada) from
A
sia, the varnish clam, Nuttallia obscurata, has spread rapidly at high densities
(
800 individuals/m2). A 3-tiered approach was applied to determine the effects of
this invasive species on nitrogen cycling and sediment characteristics. A field
s
urvey was conducted to examine the relationship between the benthic bivalve
community and sediment properties (Tier 1). Mesocosms were seeded with
v
arying densities of varnish clams to determine how this invasive species affects
sediment characteristics (Tier 2). Sediment cores taken for Tier 1 and 2 were
spliced to create a sediment depth profile. Each section was analyzed for organic
matter, % silt, ammonium and iron content. Microcosm experiments were
performed to determine the effect of varnish clams on the bacterial community
and ammonium flux (Tier 3). There was a trend of increasing organic matter with
increasing bivalve densities. We found significantly higher %fine sand, organic
matter and ammonium content in mesocosms with high density treatments. We
found that through excretory processes, varnish clams increase ammonium
content. The increase in inorganic nitrogen may have ecosystem level impacts
and is of concern as there is a push to develop this species commercially.
13/1177
Long-term cyclical variability of macrobenthic community structure modulated
by ENSO in sublittoral sediments off northern Chile
Aldo S. Pacheco
1
, Jose M. Riascos
1
, Fernanda Orellana
2
, Marcelo E. Oliva
1
1
Instituto de Investigaciones Oceanologicas, Universidad de Antofagasta,
Antofagasta, II Region, Chile,
2
Unidad de Asistencia Tecnica, Universidad de
Antofagasta, .0II Region, Chile
Abstract
Long-term data are needed to study to predict responses to environmental
forcing in the current scenario of climate change. In the Humboldt Current
system this seems to be a priority task due to the complex dynamics caused by
the ENSO. We analyzed a 16 year’s (1991-2007) time-series data-set of
macrobenthic community structure and environmental parameters from
biannual sampling from four fixed stations off Punta Coloso northern Chile.
nMDS analysis revealed structural changes associated to ENSO. From 1991,
communities gradually increased in dissimilarity up to 1998 but after 2000
dissimilarity decreased, thus suggesting a cyclical pattern throughout time,
which was tested against a perfect cycle pattern using the cyclicity analysis
implemented in the PRIMER. The test showed a significant correlation. Further
analyses showed that the pattern was successfully explained by a few taxa;
dominant polychaetes, Ostracods and Amphipods. Correlations were also
positive with derived upwelling, oceanic Niño and regional Niño indexes. Our
findings of long-term cyclical change in community structure ads new and
contrast to previous observations of increments in diversity and alternation of
dominant taxa associated to ENSO. This result is in line with decadal pattern of
oscillations observed for pelagic communities associated to warm and cold
phases of ENSO.
14/0018
Phytoplankton diversity and distribution in the Pacific sector of the Southern
Ocean
Christian Wolf
, Stephan Frickenhaus, Estelle Kilias, Ilka Peeken, Katja Metfies
Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven, Germany
Abstract
Rising water temperatures and ocean acidification are the major threats for
polar marine ecosystems and will affect phytoplankton communities.
Phytoplankton plays a major role in primary production and biogeochemical
cycles and forms the basis of marine food webs. Changes in the composition and
distribution of phytoplankton will affect the whole marine ecosystem. To assess
the effects of changing environmental conditions on phytoplankton communities
we have to know their current diversity and distribution. There is a lack of
Phytoplankton diversity studies in the Pacific sector of the Southern Ocean,
especially in the Amundsen Sea. To resolve this gap this study will deliver basic
data of phytoplankton diversity and distribution, which will help identifying the
dominant phytoplankton phyla and provide information on the rare biosphere in
that area. Environmental samples, taken on the RV Polarstern cruise ANT XXVI/3,
were analyzed with molecular approaches, including ARISA (automated
ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis) and 454-pyrosequencing. Furthermore
pigment analysis and flow cytometry were conducted. First results indicate a
clustering of the samples according to the different water masses and regions
with comparable environmental conditions. The sequencing will deliver more
detailed information about the structure and diversity of phytoplankton in the
Pacific sector of the Southern Ocean.
63
14/0055
C
ommunity structure of mesozooplankton in coastal waters of Sundarban
m
angrove wetland, India
S
antosh Sarkar
,
Bhaskar Deb Bhattacharya
Calcutta University, Kolkata, India
Abstract
C
ommunity structure of mesozooplanktons (<200 m) in the context of
h
ydrological parameters were studied in the coastal waters of Indian Sundarban
wetland formed at the estuarine phase of the River Ganges. Copepod was the
m
ost dominant taxon where the calanoids (33 species) formed bulk of the
biomass followed by cyclopoids (4 species) and harpacticoids (4 species).
Members of the family Paracalanidae and Acartiidae showed extreme flexibility
t
olerating a wide range of environmental fluctuations. Multiple regression
a
nalyses reveal that salinity, chlorophyll-a and transparency are the potential
f
actors in the distribution and existence of the mesozooplanktons such as
c
opepods, chaetognaths, mysids, lucifers and hydromedusae. Maximum diversity
i
ndex value (3.21) was associated with high richness index (4.39) and evenness
index (0.96). Cluster analysis confirmed that the perennial calanoid Bestiolina
similis formed a solitary cluster for all four stations. Canonical corresponding
analyses revealed a site-specific aggregation of the mesozooplankters
depending upon the hydrological parameters. A sharp fall in diversity of
mesozooplankton was recorded during a prolific diatom bloom Hyalodiscus
c
inctus. A long term decadal changes in the copepod biodiversity was
p
ronounced and thus this group could be efficiently used as casual link in the
alteration of the biodiversity in this vulnerable ecosystem.
14/0132
R
esting vs active stages in plankton dynamics
Fernando Rubino
1
, Manuela Belmonte
1
, Genuario Belmonte
2
1
I
nstitute for Coastal Marine Environment - National Research Council, Taranto, Italy,
2
Department of Biological and Environmental Science and Technologies, University of
S
alento, Lecce, Italy
Abstract
M
arine coastal plankton undergoes seasonal fluctuations and interannual
variations in its composition, mainly justified with the alternance of active stages
i
n the water column and resting stages (cysts) in the sediments. As a
consequence, to fully understand the functioning of planktonic system in marine
coastal areas we need to integrate information coming from pelagos and benthos
i
nto a continuum that could help us to quantify the transfer of biodiversity
b
etween these two domains. To achieve this goal we have set up at the confined
c
oastal system of the Taranto Seas (southern Italy, Ionian Sea, Mediterranean
S
ea) an experimental design to gain information from the key elements in
p
lankton dynamics.
W
e considered (in brackets the sampler used): active stages dynamics in the
w
ater column (Niskin bottles, plankton nets); cyst production (sediment traps);
cyst accumulation (sediment cores); cyst germination (inverted traps, Niskin
bottles very close to the sediment). The whole study was structured in two study
periods, one in autumn, mainly to observe the encystment dynamics, and one in
the following spring, to observe the excystment and its consequence on the
water column. Different species showed different behaviours so justifying the
unpredictability of plankton dynamics in confined coastal areas.
1
4/0158
P
elagic decapods and euphausiids from the South Atlantic Mid-ocean Ridge
System
Luiz Loureiro Fernandes
1
, Tone Falkenhaug
2
, Irene Cardoso
3
1
U
niversidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitória, Espírito Santo State, Brazil,
2
Institute of Marine Research, Flodevingen, His, Norway,
3
Museu Nacional do Rio de
J
aneiro, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil
Abstract
T
he aim of this work was to evaluate pelagic crustaceans and euphausiids
diversities in the South Atlantic mid-ocean ridge ecosystem. Samples were
c
ollected in ten superstations during the South Atlantic MAR-ECO cruise on the
R/V Akademik Ioffe from November 25-29, 2009 using an Isaac-Kidd Midwater
T
rawl (IKMT). At each station, IKMT trawls were conducted from 1000 -2000 m to
the surface and from the depth of the SSL to the surface. All IKMT samples were
fixed on 4% buffered formaldehyde. After the cruise, large crustaceans were
sorted out and fixed on separate jars in ethanol. From a total of 26 samples, 17
samples of macrocrustaceans were processed, with 39 species of decapod
shrimps and 8 species of euphausiids identified. High diversity and occurrence of
the genus Gennadas was recorded throughout the sampling stations. The highest
number of taxa was observed in the South Equatorial MAR Sector (SS 1-4)
followed by the Walvis Ridge Sector (SS 7-10), while the Tropical MAR Sector (SS
5-6) had the lowest number. The oplophorid Oplophorus novaezeelandiae, a fairly
rare species, was observed in the samples. Further studies are necessary for a
better understanding of the South Atlantic mid-ocean ridge ecosystem.
1
4/0232
S
pecies diversity in the coastal waters of China
Xianshi Jin
, Xiujuan Shan
Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Qingdao,Shandong, China
Abstract
B
ased on the data collected by R/V “Beidou” in the Yellow Sea, East China Sea
and South China Sea from 1997 to 2001, biodiversity in the coastal waters of
C
hina were analyzed, and involved in phytoplankton, zooplankton, zoobenthos
a
nd fishery species. A total of 532 phytoplankton species were described in the
survey, mainly composed of diatoms (accounted for 66% of total species) and
d
inoflagellates (accounted for 30.8% of total species); there were 909
zooplankton species, copepods were the predominant species; there were 1032
z
oobenthos species, involved in 394 polychete, 462 mollusca, 91 echinodermata
and 85 other species; a total of 1393 fishery species were collected in the survey,
including 1101 pisces, 71 cephalopods and 221 crustaceans, mainly composed of
warm water species and warm temperate species (>90% in pisces, >70% in
crustaceans, 100% in cephalopods). According to biogeographic region
characteristics, species in the northern part of China Seas belong to north
Pacific temperate flora, species in the southern part of China Seas is Indo-West
Pacific warm water flora. In addition, all ecological types’ species number
increased with the decrease of latitude in the coastal waters of China, and
showed significant fauna characteristics and seasonal variations.
14/0315
Spatial and temporal variability of phytoplankton diversity in two tropical
estuary
Chumki Chowdhury
, Mitali Dey, Tapan Jana
University of Calcutta, Kolkata, India
Abstract
Variation of phytoplankton community structure in the tropical estuaries as a
result of monsoonal changes of nutrients flux receives attention for study. We
investigated two tropical estuaries: Mahanadi estuary with more monsoonal
phosphorus influx than nitrogen and Hooghly estuary with more monsoonal
nitrogen influx than phosphorus for comparing the diversity in phytoplankton
composition.
Bacillariophyceae was common in both the estuaries. Occurrence of
Chlorophyceae, Cyanophyceae and Dinophyceae were the distingtive feature for
Mahanadi estuary in contrast to Hooghly estuary which showed presence of only
Dinophyceae besides Bacillariophycea. In post-monsoon, one species of
Chlorophyceae , Pediastrum duplex (2.25 mm
3
L
-1
or 221 µg C L
-1
) in Mahanadi
estuary, and Thalassiosira subtilis (2.41 mm
3
L
-1
or 279 µg C L
-1
) of
Bacillariophyceae in Hoogly estuary, exceeded biovolume limit of 2mm
3
.L
-1
for
bloom formation. Shanon-Weiner species diversity index was higher (2.82 to
1.73) in Mahanadi estuary with N:P ratio of 7.8 than in Hooghly estuary (1.34 to
1.77) with N:P ratio of 18 .
Our study suggests that, future changes in monsoonal flux during the course of
climate change could change the community structure and blooming pattern of
phytoplankton subject to the ratio of nitrogen and phosphorus input into the
estuary.
14/0356
Initial dominance in coccolitophore communities affects community structure
but does not translate into community functioning
Lena Eggers
, Sebastian Krug, Birte Matthiessen
Leibniz Institute of Marine Sciences (IFM-GEOMAR), Kiel, Germany
Abstract
To get a better view on the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem
functioning it is not only required to investigate effects of species richness but
also to take the relative abundance of species into account. In experimental
communities with four naturally co-occurring coccolithophore species off the
Azores we tested whether varying initial dominance leads to different competitive
outcomes and consequently affects community functioning. In particular we
manipulated initial community composition by creating five different
communities: 1) all species contributing equally to initial biomass, 2),3),4), and 5)
species X contributing four times higher to initial biomass than the remaining
three species. Additionally, all four species were grown in monoculture starting
with the same initial biomass as the communities. First results show that in
three out of four cases the initial dominant species remains dominant during
stationary phase when competition for resources is establishing. Monocultures
significantly differ in final biomass, particulate inorganic carbon, and particulate
organic carbon content. However, despite varying dominant species in the
communities these differences do not translate into community functioning.
Thus, in this experimental set-up initial dominance seems to have no effect on
community functioning due to the compensation by subdominant species.
64
14/0399
P
lankton community carbon requirement during a diatom Skeletonema
m
arinoi bloom: A field mesocosm study
R
oswati Md Amin
,
Ulf Båmstedt, Jens C. Nejstgaard
Umeå Marine Sciences Centre, Umeå University, Norrbyn 91020 Hörnefors, Sweden
Abstract
W
e studied the effect of variable dominance of the diatom Skeletonema marinoi
o
n the planktonic community respiratory carbon requirement over a period of 14
days (14-28 April, 2008) from 3 different mesocosms treated with N and P
(
mesocosm B), N, P and Si (mesocosm C) and N, P, Si and inoculated with 1000
cell mL-1 Skeletonema marinoi in the start (mesocosm F). The carbon
requirement was measured on mesozooplankton (the calanoid copepod Calanus
f
inmarchicus), microzooplankton, nanoplankton, and bacterioplankton by using
a
n oxygen optode system with two SensorDish Readers. The respiratory carbon
r
equirement showed no clear trend over time for any of the size groups with
m
esozooplankton contributing the least of the total community carbon
r
equirement, corresponding to less than 6% of primary production. In contrast,
microzooplankton and nanoplankton carbon requirements consistently
dominated the community carbon requirement, corresponding to a substantial
part of the primary production, while bacterioplankton showed more variable
contribution. Respiratory carbon requirements of mesozooplankton was not
significantly related to quality and quantity of food, whereas the respiratory
c
arbon requirements of lower fraction were all related to the production of
2
2:6(n-3) fatty acid.
14/0788
R
ecent studies of the biodiversity of the marine phytoplankton in Mexico
David U. Hernández-Becerril
I
nstituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de
México, México, D.F., Mexico
Abstract
M
exico has littorals in both the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans, with warm and
m
ore temperate waters. Tropical and temperate floras have been recognized in
marine phytoplankton, and they fluctuate and have intergrades according
c
limatic or oceanographic events. Studies on biodiversity of this community in
Mexico are still in progress: few taxonomic groups, the smaller size-fractions,
and some areas are poorly-known. The best studied taxonomic groups are
d
iatoms and dinoflagellates, silicoflagellates, coccolithophorids and
C
yanobacteria, but the ambiguous group so-called phytoflagellates has been
l
ess studied. Few new species have been described and many new records have
b
een confirmed in Mexican marine waters. Monographs on certain genera or
g
roups have been done, especially diatoms and dinoflagellates. The size-
fractions nano and picoplankton have not been studied in their biodiversity, and
even their importance has been generally neglected. Certain tropical areas
(Mexican Caribbean Sea, central Mexican Pacific) need to be studied in detail,
since most new species or new records have been originated in there. The
number of phytoplanktonic taxa recorded is around 2000, including about 50
s
pecies considered to be toxic or harmful. New techniques, approaches and
c
oncepts are in current use or should be considered to improve our knowledge
on this subject.
1
4/0804
C
hanges of Small Jellyfish Community in recent decades in Jiaozhou Bay,
China
Song Sun
1
, Yinghong Li
2
, Xiaoxia Sun
1
1
I
nstitute of Oceanology, Qingdao, China,
2
B
ureau of Science and Technology for
Resources and Environment,, Beijing, China
Abstract
B
ased on the long term monitoring data of small jellyfish in Jiaozhou Bay, China,
t
he changes on the abundance and dominant species of small jellyfish during
1991-2009 were studied. Results indicated an increasing trend of small jellyfish
a
bundance after 2000 in all areas of Jiaozhou Bay. The average abundance of
jellyfish during 2001-2009 achieved 15.2 ind m
-3
, almost 5 times higher than that
o
f 1991-2000. The biodiversity of jellyfish was greatly increased in recent years,
and the dominant species of jellyfish in Jiaozhou Bay over the last two decades
were also changed. Some new dominant species appeared after 2000, including
Rathkae octopunctata in winter, Phialidium hemisphaericum in spring, summer &
autumn, Phialucium carolinae in spring, Pleurobrachia globosa in summer and
autumn. However, the dominant species in 1990s, such as Eirene ceylonensis,
Zanclea costata, Lovenella assimilis and Muggiaea atlantica were not dominant
after 2000. The changes of small jellyfish abundance and dominant species
composition were considered due to the influence resulted from the intensive
human activities including eutrophication, aquaculture, coastal construction etc.
The warming of seawater and decreasing of salinity in recent decades provide
suitable environment for the growth and reproduction of small jellyfish in
Jiaozhou Bay.
1
4/0809
I
nvestigating changes in the phytoplankton community in Loch Creran, a
Scottish sea loch.
Callum Whyte
1
, Paul Tett
2
, Teresa F. Fernandes
3
, Linda Gilpin
1
1
E
dinburgh Napier University, Edinburgh, UK,
2
S
cottish Association for Marine
Science, Dunstaffnage, UK,
3
Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, UK
Abstract
T
he phytoplankton community in Loch Creran has been studied for over three
d
ecades. The number of Skeletonema spp. cells observed in the loch during the
annual spring bloom has fallen from over 14 million cells per litre in the 1970’s
t
o approximately 5 million cells per litre in 2008. This has been accompanied by a
significant drop in biomass. Various hypothesis for this change have been
s
uggested including the detrimental effects of anti fouling compounds, increased
grazing by bivalves and changes to the depth of the mixing layer. Recent analysis
has suggested that there has been a rise in annual water temperatures in the
loch accompanied by a change in precipitation levels and patterns of
precipitation in the loch’s catchment area. These changes may be affecting both
the light climate and the community composition of grazers in the loch with
consequences for the phytoplankton community.
14/0835
Vertical distribution of zooplankton in the Oxygen Minimum Zone of the tropical
Mexican Pacific
Jaime Färber Lorda
, Emilio Beier, Ignacio Romero Vargas Marquez, Victor
Godinez
CICESE, Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico
Abstract
During PROCOMEX XI cruise to the Mexican tropical Pacific coast, samples of
zooplankton obtained with a MOCNESS net were studied, from 600m to surface,
with 50m layers from 200m to surface. Two east-west transects were followed. In
the North, hydrographic conditions were more influenced by the California
Current with, lower temperatures and a deeper oxygen minimum (OM) than the
southern transect, placed over more tropical waters with more affinity with the
Oxygen Minimum Zone (OMZ) and shallower OM. Suboxic conditions restrain the
vertical distribution of zooplankton, with no apparent vertical migration in the
sampled area. A drastic change in abundance, was found from 100m to 600m,
with lower abundances and less taxonomic groups present. OM (assuming OM as
45µmoles/Kg.) was deeper in the Northern transect (~90-110m) and shallower in
the southern transect (~60-80m). In support of the habitat compression
hypothesis (Farber Lorda 2006) which assume that zooplankton concentrates in
the first 100 m of the oxygenated layer, and do not migrate during day or night, in
most stations, zooplakton was concentrated in the first 100 m. Ostracos and
ostracod eggs were dominant in certain more coastal areas, a recurrent finding
for the area (Färber Lorda unpublished data).
14/0944
Population-density influencing the induction of diapausing egg production in
Acartia steueri (Copepoda; Calanoida) in Sagami Bay, Japan
Nobuko Yamamoto
1
, Tomoko Yoshiki
2
, Ryota Nakajima
3
, Tomohiko Kikuchi
4
,
Tatsuki Toda
1
1
Graduate School of Engineering, Soka University, Japan,
2
National Research
Institute of Fisheries Science, Japan,
3
Faculty of Engineering, Soka University, Japan,
4
Graduate School of Environmental Sciences, Japan
Abstract
Copepod has diversified well successfully with developing various living
strategies. Dormancy is one of the strategies to bridge adverse seasons. Species
showing dormancy occur in various realms and habitats, both freshwater and
marine, being benthic, planktic or ice-dwelling. Factors influencing the induction
of diapausing egg production in calanoid copepods have been considered
temperature, photoperiod, and population density, and they are different among
species. Acartia steueri, a diapausing egg producer, is abundant in Sagami Bay,
Japan, excluding summer. They produce diapausing eggs before summer when
the population density is the highest. In this study, relationship between
diapausing egg production and population density was examined. The
experiments were conducted in early summer and winter, in 2010. Collected
females were incubated at the field temperature and photoperiod conditions. The
responses of diapusing egg production were different between two seasons.
Diapausing eggs were significantly high under high density conditions in early
summer. On the other hand, diapausing eggs were not produced at all density
conditions in winter. The different response between two seasons suggests that
the diapausing egg production may be induced by combination of high female
density and environmental factor such as temperature and/or photoperiod.
65
14/0945
F
eeding niches of mesopelagic copepods in Sagami Bay, central Japan.
Masayoshi Sano
, Shuhei Nishida
A
tmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba,
Japan
Abstract
I
t is commonly known that species diversity of copepods is high in the
m
esopelagic zone. Recently, feeding niche separation among co-occurring
copepods is considered as important mechanism sustaining the high biodiversity
i
n the mesopelagic zone, but feeding habits of mesopelagic copepods are still
unclear. We investigated feeding habits of eight species of mesopelagic copepods
considered to be omnivore or detritivore in Sagami Bay by carbon and nitrogen
s
table isotope ratio analysis, microscopic observation of gut contents, and
a
nalysis of gut contents and sinking particles by electron probe micro analyzer
(
EPMA). The stable isotope ratio analysis suggested that many copepods mainly
c
onsumed those particles suspended in the epipelagic zone rather than those
s
inking in the mesopelagic zone. The microscopy of gut contents showed
different compositions of ingested foods among these copepods, most of which
ingested sinking particles containing non-degraded phytoplankton and
cyanobacteria. The EPMA analysis suggested that these copepods ingested
sinking particles selectively. These observations suggest that these copepods
selectively ingest sinking particles consisted mainly of fresh suspended
p
articles, such as non-degraded phytoplankton, and that they differentially utilize
d
iverse food resources.
14/0947
N
ew tools for investigating the biodiversity, community structure and
f
unctional role of gelatinous zooplankton in the mesopelagic zone: the
untethered remotely-operated vehicle PICASSO and marine snow analyses
u
sing an autonomous Visual Plankton Recorder
Dhugal Lindsay
1
, Hiroshi Yoshida
1
, Shojiro Ishibashi
1
, Hiroyuki Yamamoto
1
, Jun
Nishikawa
2
, Jamie Reimer
1
, Yoshiyuki Ishitani
1
, Aska Yamaki
1
, Keisuke
Sunahara
1
, Katsunori Fujikura
1
, Tadashi Maruyama
1
, Kyoko Watariguchi
2
,
Graham Hosie
3
, Takashi Ishimaru
4
1
JAMSTEC, Yokosuka, Japan,
2
AORI, U. Tokyo, Kashiwa, Japan,
3
Australian Antarctic
D
ivision, Hobart, Australia,
4
T
UMSAT, Tokyo, Japan
A
bstract
A
recently-developed untethered but remotely-operated survey platform, the
P
ICASSO system, is described. This vehicle was designed specifically for surveys
o
f macroplankton and marine particulates (maximum depth 1000 m), to link
i
nformation on gelatinous zooplankton diversity and community structure with
t
heir function as packagers and producers of marine snow. It has been deployed
from 8 different support ships to date with the smallest being only 18 m in length
(17 tonnes). PICASSO can record broadcast-quality high definition video, 3
regular NTSC channels, depth, temperature, salinity, oxygen, turbidity and
chlorophyll concentrations to characterize the environment in which the
organisms occur. In situ video of recent expeditions will be shown and results
i
ntroduced. In addition, an autonomous Visual Plankton Recorder, which is also
d
eployable on the PICASSO vehicle, was used in eastern Antarctica (austral
summer 2007-2008) to investigate particle profiles vs. depth. It also gathered
information on the diversity and fine-scale distribution of Ctenophora, Acantharia
and Phaeodaria and Phaeocystis. These results will be introduced.
1
5/0077
S
cope for growth models as a tool to asses climate change effects on habitat
quality
Lorna Teal
, Ralf van Hal, Tobias van Kooten, Adriaan Rijnsdorp
I
MARES, Ijmuiden, Netherlands
Abstract
Climate change affects a multitude of environmental factors, which in turn affect
a
variety of processes within the marine ecosystem. Statistical analysis on time
s
eries are able to correlate changes in distribution and abundance of fish with
environmental variables but do not investigate underlying mechanisms. Here, we
u
se scope for growth models to explore the link between environment, habitat
quality and spatio-temporal distributions under different environmental
s
cenarios. Because growth rates are influenced directly and indirectly by the
environment, and are also linked to reproductive potential, spatially-explicit
models of growth potentials are a useful tool to explore changes in habitat
quality.
Plaice was used as a case study because of its known size and season-
dependant spatial migrations. Size-, temperature-, and food density- dependant
growth rates were calculated based on dynamic energy budget models. Spatial
differences in growth potentials for varying size classes of plaice are assessed
under different temperature and food conditions. Maps of growth potential are
compared to known plaice distributions to identify the extent to which bio-
energetics underpin migrations. The models presented provide a tool to explore
spatio-temporal fish dynamics, predict effects of local or broad-scale
environmental changes and provide a physiological basis for observed changes
in species distributions.
1
5/0134
N
on-random real-world loss of mesograzer trait diversity reduces ecosystem
resilience to climate change impacts
Johan S Eklöf
, Christian Alsterberg, Lars Eriksson, Kristina Sundbäck, Hannah
W
ood, Jonathan Havenhand, Lars Gamfeldt
Marine Ecology, Gothenburg University, Gothenburg, Sweden
Abstract
C
limatic changes are altering the basic environment for marine organisms, but
w
e have limited understanding of how multiple, potentially interacting climate
changes can affect marine diversity and species interactions, especially in
s
ystems already impacted by other human stressors. Here we show that real-
world, non-random loss of trait diversity within a key functional group -
i
nvertebrate mesograzers - may fundamentally reduce ecosystem resilience to
climate changes. In experimental seagrass mesocosms, increased water
temperature (+4°) boosted the growth of ephemeral green algae in both
presence and absence of currently dominating grazers (two gastropods). But in
communities including a historically dominating amphipod grazer (Gammarus
locusta), which currently is controlled by high predation pressure from fish,
ephemeral algal biomass was suppressed regardless of water temperature. A
meta-analysis of experimental predation studies confirmed that predation on
mesograzers typically leads to a trade-off between grazer effect and response
diversity: high predation pressure supresses poorly defended and highly efficient
grazers (gammarids and isopods), favoring well-protected but less efficient
grazers (gastropods). We therefore suggest that management actions aimed at
reducing high predation pressure on functionally important mesograzers may
indirectly boost ecosystem resilience to near-future climate change.
15/0324
Response of Biogeochemistry and Phytoplankton Habitats to Warming in the
Global Ocean
Stephanie Dutkiewicz
, Jeffrey Scott, Michael J. Follows
Massachusetts Insitute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
Abstract
We examine the response to global change of diverse phytoplankton
communities in an ocean circulation, biogeochemistry and ecosystem model.
The earth system model resolves ocean circulation, atmospheric physics,
multiple ocean nutrients and 100 phytoplankton types. “Present day”
simulations reveal plausible functional biogeography and patterns of biodiversity
in the emergent phytoplankton communities. In global change scenarios, the
emergent modelled community structure responds to the changing physical and
biogeochemical environment. In these scenario some niches are reduced and
phytoplankton types which are significant players in the “present day” global
biomass decline. At the same time, other niches increase leading to an
expansion of habitat and abundance for minor players in the present day
simulations. We will discuss how the changes in temperature, stratification and
nutrient environments have stimulated the re-organization of the biogeography
and biodiversity in the modeled plankton communities, as well as the feedback
on marine biogeochemical cycles.
15/0330
Consequences of dominant species loss and dispersal for community
resilience after a realistically simulated heat wave
Birte Matthiessen
1
, M. Karin de Boer
2
, Helen Moor
1
, Britas Eriksson
2
1
Leibniz Institute of Marine Sciences (IFM-GEOMAR), Dept. Marine Ecology, Kiel,
Germany,
2
University of Groningen, Department of Marine Benthic Ecology and
Evolution, Groningen,
Abstract
We studied the consequences of dominant species loss and dispersal for
community recovery after a realistically simulated heat wave in spatially
heterogeneous metacommunities with ten naturally co-occurring benthic
diatoms of the Baltic Sea. In particular, we manipulated species loss by creating
four different communities: 1) all ten species present, 2) the dominant biomass
producer and heat-sensitive species removed, 3) the second dominant producer
and heat-resistant species removed, and 4) both the dominant and the second
dominant producer removed. The simulated heat wave was a condensed version
of recorded temperature in shallow water of the western Baltic Sea in heat
summer 2003. First results show that in general biomass was lower after the
heat wave, however, communities showed different degrees of recovery.
Recovery was lowest in the presence of the dominant producer which together
with dispersal prevented a dominance shift towards more heat tolerant species.
A dominance shift among the remaining species led to higher recovery when only
the second dominant and heat resistant species was present or when both
superior competitors were removed. Our results show that the presence and
absence of dominant traits in a community should not be underestimated as they
indirectly affect community structure and thus resilience.
66
15/0377
E
ffects of climate warming on phytoplankton diversity and productivity
Aleksandra Lewandowska
1
, Petra Breithaupt
2
, Helmut Hillebrand
3
, Ulrich
S
ommer
1
1
Leibniz Institute of Marine Sciences, Kiel, Germany,
2
University Medical Center
S
chleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany,
3
I
nstitute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine
E
nvironment, Oldenburg, Germany
Abstract
The predicted increase of sea surface temperature considerably affects primary
p
roductivity and phytoplankton community structure. We used a metaanalysis
approach on independent mesocosm experiments with the natural plankton
community from the Baltic Sea to examine the effects of warming and diversity
c
hanges on primary productivity. Warming directly affected specific primary
p
roductivity, which was more pronounced under low grazing pressure.
F
urthermore we observed an independent positive effect of phytoplankton
s
pecies richness on primary productivity. In conclusion, we show that
t
emperature does not directly affect phytoplankton diversity, but indirectly acts
on phytoplankton community structure due to changes in consumer pressure.
Thus, the final effect of warming on primary productivity depends on the balance
between direct and indirect temperature impacts and consumer-producer
interactions.
15/0437
B
enthic response to natural iron fertilisation in the ocean - what it tells us
a
bout the functional consequences of climate change.
D
avid Billett
1
,
George Wolff
2
,
Brian Bett
1
,
Jens Holtvoeth
2
,
Henry Rhul
1
1
National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, UK,
2
University of Liverpool,
L
iverpool, UK
Abstract
N
atural iron fertilisation, stimulated by iron leached from oceanic islands, occurs
within the High Nutrient Low Chlorophyll (HNLC) expanse of the Southern Ocean.
S
tudies in these areas allow the comparison of closely-situated abyssal benthic
communities exposed to different surface water productivity regimes. We report
on two localities around the Crozet Islands, 460km apart and at a water depth of
4
200m. East of the Crozet Plateau there is a seasonal phytoplankton bloom
s
timulated by elevated iron concentrations in surface waters (+Fe). This site had
a
carbon flux 2.5 times greater than a site situated in HNLC waters to the south
o
f the islands (HNLC). There is a marked contrast in the abundance, biomass and
d
iversity of the megabenthos at the two sites. We attribute the differences in
benthic standing stocks and diversity to the characteristics of resource supply
(quantity, timing and quality of organic matter input). Community composition at
the +Fe site had more in common with the abyssal megafauna of the eutrophic
NE Atlantic (16,000km distant) than to the adjacent HNLC site. Changes in
surface water productivity in response to climate change, or resulting potential
g
eoengineering solutions, will have a significant direct effect on biodiversity and
a
byssal ecosystem functioning.
1
5/0469
V
ariable responses of phytoplankton communities to multiple typhoon
passages in the coastal waters of Japan
Kenji Tsuchiya
1
, Tomoko Yoshiki
2
, Ryota Nakajima
1
, Hideo Miyaguchi
1
, Daichi
K
iyota
1
,
Tomohiko Kikuchi
3
,
Satoru Taguchi
1
,
Victor Kuwahara
1
,
Tatsuki Toda
1
1
Soka University, Hachioji, Tokyo, Japan,
2
National Research Institute of Fisheries
S
cience, Fisheries Research Agency, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan,
3
Y
okohama
National University, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
A
bstract
Global warming has the potential for increasing the intensity of typhoons, which
w
ill subsequently affect marine and coastal ecosystems. In the present study,
variations of the physicochemical environment and variable responses of
p
hytoplankton community before and after four typhoons (T0511 Mawar, T0813
Sinlaku, T0909 Etau and T1009 Malou) passing our study site in Sagami Bay,
Japan, were investigated. Immediately after typhoon passages, salinity
decreased and nutrient concentrations (NO
2
+NO
3
, PO
4
and SiO
2
) increased. The
N/P ratio varied after each typhoon, which suggests that there might be variable
sources supplying nutrients to the coastal waters, such as terrestrial runoff,
vertical mixing, etc. With high photosynthetically available radiation values after
typhoon passages, chlorophyll a concentrations increased and reached a
maximum 3 to 6 days after typhoon passages. Dominant phytoplankton species
were Skeletonema spp. during T0511 Mawar and Chaetoceros spp. during T0813
Sinlaku, T0909 Etau and T1009 Malou. The results show that N/P ratios are
tightly coupled to specific nutrient availability processes (typhoon induced
vertical mixing and terrestrial runoff) which could act as a proxy for dominant
phytoplankton taxa. The study suggests typhoon passages induce changes to
important biogeochemical cycles and phytoplankton diversity.
1
5/0528
R
ocky shore communities recovery dynamics: species interactions under
global changes.
Valentina Asnaghi
1
, Simon Thrush
2
, Judi Hewitt
2
, Luisa Mangialajo
3
, Riccardo
C
attaneo - Vietti
1
,
Mariachiara Chiantore
1
1
University of Genoa, Italy,
2
NIWA, New Zealand,
3
Université de Nice-Sophia Antipolis,
F
rance
Abstract
C
limate change, expected to have multifaceted impacts on temperate rocky
shores, as well as interact with other human induced changes, keeps increasing
w
ith growing concern about its potential local to global consequences on marine
coastal ecosystems. To date, most climate change studies consider broad-scale
d
istribution shifts, associated with temperature or pH variations, or consist in
laboratory single-species studies (e.g. experiments on ocean acidification
effects). Yet, species strongly interact in the real world and attention must be
given to how ecological interactions could change. From a functional perspective,
disturbance-recovery processes are important attributes of the community
dynamics. In this perspective, it is extremely relevant to assess the main
feedbacks between the different species to improve our predictive ability in this
changing scenario. We experimentally disturbed replicated 1m
2
plots in the
upper infralittoral at 5 sites along the Ligurian rocky coast (North-western
Mediterranean). We assessed recovery dynamics within our plots over one year
to identify recovery trajectories and species replacement in time, using
continuous fixed transects. Recovery dynamics show a large role of calcifying
macroalgae (especially Corallinales) which differently interact, in space through
time, with the other taxa, in particular with canopy forming species (fucoids),
driving the return to the undisturbed condition.
15/0720
Climate change reduces offspring fitness in littoral spawners
Folco Giomi
1
, Fabrizio Bartolini
2
, Alberto Barausse
3
, Hans-Otto Pörtner
1
1
Alfred-Wegener-Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven, Germany,
2
University of Firenze, Florence, Italy,
3
University of Padova, Padua, Italy
Abstract
The research has been addressed on the physiological tolerance and the
adaptative flexibility of marine model organisms in order to forecast and test the
animal resilience to climate change. The hypothesis considers that the species
tolerance range could be narrower in particular ontogenetic stages which
represent the vulnerable phase with respect of marked environmental
fluctuation. We have investigated thermal tolerance in the model eurytherm
crabs Carcinus spp. and compared the physiological mechanism of resistance
between adult and embryos. The results from ventilation rate and oxygen
consumption measurements highlight the capability of adult to maintain the
oxygen extraction efficiency over a wide range of temperature (10-25°C).
Conversely embryos display an acute thermal sensitivity, particularly high at
level of blastula and gastrula while an initial tolerance is recorded for the
following stages of development. This result has been integrated with data on 65
years of climatic observation and population abundance to disclose for effects of
the current trend of climate change. In conclusion, this study provides evidence
that climate change has an impact on highly tolerant species by reducing the
fitness of early stages during the ontogenesis of eurythermy.
15/0813
Climate impacts on basking sharks surface behaviour in the British Isles
Sarah Phenix
1
, Terence Dawson
2
, Jean-Luc Solandt
3
1
Marine Science Centre, Northeastern University, Nahant, USA,
2
School of the
Environment, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK,
3
Marine Conservation Society, Ross-
on-Wye, UK
Abstract
Basking sharks (Cetorhinus maximus), the second largest fish after the whale
shark, are a temperate water species that are seasonally present in the surface
marine waters of the United Kingdom. The distributions of surface sightings have
been shown to be related to both sea surface temperatures (SST) and biotic
zooplankton concentrations. Through the utilization of 19 years (1987-2005) of
the Marine Conservation Society’s Basking Shark Watch observations,
Continuous Plankton Recorder data and National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer derived sea surface
temperatures records this study was able to analyze the interregional variability
of phenological onset and conclusion of surface “basking” behaviour between
southwest England, the Isle of Man, and west Scotland. Results suggest that
climatically driven SST serves as the “trigger” mechanism inducing basking
shark surface behaviour with zooplankton abundance and distribution playing a
vital role in governing the timing of the annual conclusion of these events.
Results suggest the seasonal variability of basking behaviors may communicate
long-term trends in SST variation and, thus, climate change.
67
15/0920
L
ocal and Large Scale Constrains in the Recruitment of Shallow Areas Fishes
o
f Patos Lagoon Estuary (RS) - Brazil
J
oão Vieira
1
,
Leonardo Moraes
1
,
Alexandre Garcia
1
,
Eduardo Paes
2
,
Alice Grimm
3
,
O
smar Möller
1
1
U
niversidade Federal de Rio Grande, Brazil,
2
U
niversidade Federal, Brazil,
3
U
niversidade Federal do Paraná, Brazil
Abstract
Shallow water juvenile fish and crustacean abundance were investigated during
t
he last 10 years (2000-2010) in the Patos Lagoon estuary, southern Brazil, and
correlated with seven abiotic variables (temperature, salinity, freshwater runoff,
rainfall, El-Niño South Oscillation- ENOS, Niño 3 and Southern Annular Mode -
S
AM). The correlations between ENOS and rainfall, river runoff were highest at
l
ags of 1-2 months. Precipitation and freshwater runoff were in phase. The
s
alinity was also in phase with the rainfall and river runoff was out of phase by
c
a. 1-2 months with temperature. The ordination pattern showed two clears
g
radients: the first reflects the salinity gradient, which is negatively and strongly
influenced by river discharge, rainfall in the drainage basin, ENSO events and
positively correlated to SAM. The second gradient corresponds to the seasonal
variation which is conditioned by temperature. Freshwater species were
associated with El Niño events, while estuarine-resident species were
distributed throughout the salinity gradient. Estuarine-dependent commercially
i
mportant species were associated to La Niña that strong correlates with salinity.
L
ower or higher precipitation associated with La Niña and El Niño events favors
salinity intrusion or freshwater outflow, which in turn, increase or decrease the
abundance of marine species in the estuary, respectively.
15/0927
C
limate-induced mortalities on Mediterranean benthic communities: lessons
l
earned and future research
C
ristina Linares
1
,
Joaquim Garrabou
2
,
Marc Bally
3
,
Nathaniel Bensoussan
3
,
E
dgar Casas
2
,
Emma Cebrian
4
,
Carolina Crisci
3
,
Bernat Hereu
1
,
Silvija Kipson
2
,
Diego Kersting
5
, Marie laRivière
3
, Jean-Baptiste Ledoux
2
, Nuria Teixidó
1
1
U
niversity of Barcelona, Spain,
2
I
nstitut de Ciencies del Mar, Spain,
3
C
entre
d
’Océanologie de Marseille, France,
4
U
niversitat de Girona, Spain,
5
R
eserva marina
I
slas Columbretes, Spain
A
bstract
Climate change is one of the major concerns for the conservation of the rich
biodiversity of the Mediterranean Sea. Climatic models predict that the
M
editerranean basin will be one of the regions most affected by the ongoing
w
arming trend and by an increase in the frequency of extreme events (IPCC
2
007). During the last decade, one of the major threats affecting benthic
c
ommunities has been the occurrence of mass mortality events associated to
g
lobal warming at regional scales. Until now, several studies have assessed the
population impacts of these disturbances and several different hypotheses have
been suggested. However, sublethal effects as well as the factors and
mechanisms driving these mortality events remain largely unknown. Further
complicating the situation, previous studies have shown differential impacts at
different levels of biological organization (colonies, species and populations),
s
uggesting that several factors could be acting synergistically. In this
p
resentation, we will review the main results obtained until now from different
approaches: field surveys, thermal tolerance experiments, modeling and outline
the future research directions needed to understand and anticipate the
ecological consequences of these climate-induced disturbances.
1
5/0930
E
volutionary conservation biology of the Mediterranean coralligenous
communities
Jean-Baptiste Ledoux
1
, Didier Aurelle
2
, Cristina Linares
1
, Jean-Pierre Féral
2
,
J
oaquim Garrabou
1
1
Institut de ciences del mar (ICM), Barcelona, Spain,
2
UMR6540-DIMAR, Marseille,
F
rance
Abstract
T
he Mediterranean coralligenous communities are characterized by a high
biological diversity. Mainly composed by long-lived species with slow population
d
ynamics, they are thus particularly sensitive to disturbances associated to
global change. Gaining ecological baseline data on the different components of
t
hese communities and understanding their responses facing environmental
changes is urgently needed for their conservation. Focusing on the shallow (0-50
m) populations of one of their most emblematic species, the red coral, Corallium
rubrum, we developed an approach combining population genetics and
experimental ecology: 1) to assess the level and repartition of its genetic
diversity, 2) to complement our knowledge regarding its ecology and 3) to analyze
the adaptive processes in its local environment. Our results demonstrate that
these populations are globally characterized by a high neutral genetic diversity
that follows a pattern of isolation by distance. They also suggest a mainly closed
functioning of populations that could result in some cases in the occurrence of
local adaptation. These results and data on its population dynamics imply that
the red coral is already threatened by global changes and that the development
of adapted local and international conservation policies is essential to protect the
species and the coralligenous communities.
1
5/0946
D
irect and indirect effects of sea level rise on benthic macrofauna associated
with eelgrass Zostera muelleri
Andrea Nicastro
, Melanie Bishop
B
iological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Abstract
Global climate change could affect species directly through alteration of
e
nvironmental parameters and indirectly through modification of interspecific
i
nteractions. We determined how a reduction in intertidal area by sea level rise
will influence macroinvertebrate communities living in Zostera muelleri seagrass
b
eds directly, via modification of inundation regime, and indirectly, via changes in
seagrass biomass. First we assessed how macrofaunal communities vary along
t
he tidal elevation and the superimposed seagrass biomass gradient. Secondly,
to separate direct and indirect effects of tidal elevation on macroinvertebrates,
we conducted an experiment in which we compared recruitment of
macroinvertebrates to artificial Zostera rhizomes, representative of intertidal and
subtidal morphs, unvegetated sediment and natural seagrass patches at two
depths. We found that neither tidal elevation nor Zostera morphology alone could
explain the elevation gradient in seagrass-dwelling invertebrates. At each depth,
seagrass and bare sediments supported distinctly different communities. At the
intertidal elevation, each of the two types of artificial rhizome supported
invertebrate communities that were more similar to seagrass than unvegetated
sediments. At the subtidal depth, the two types of mimic supported communities
more similar to unvegetated sediments. Hence, effects of sea-level rise on
seagrass-dwelling macroinvertebrates will arise through a combination of direct
and indirect effects.
15/0951
The structure and dynamics of species distributions in a changing climate
Jennifer Sunday
1
, Amanda Bates
2
, Nicholas Dulvy
1
1
Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada,
2
Deakin University, Warrnambool,
Australia
Abstract
Identifying the factors that determine species’ latitudinal ranges has been a
fundamental goal in ecology for over a century. Yet, how environmental
thresholds relate to species’ geographic distributions remains poorly
understood. Here, we compile two global datasets on thermal tolerance,
latitudinal ranges, and climate-related range shifts in marine and terrestrial
ectotherms, and show that the relationship between temperature tolerance and
latitudinal distribution differs between terrestrial and marine species. In the
ocean, both upper and lower latitudinal range limits are related to thermal
tolerance, while on land thermal tolerance is decoupled from equatorward range
limits. In concordance with these patterns, climate-driven range shifts at upper
and lower latitudinal range limits occur at equal frequency in the ocean, while on
land, lower latitudinal limits respond less often than upper limits. These
findings lend critical support to Darwin’s conjecture that equatorward range
limits on land are set by biotic interactions, but point the greater importance of
abiotic factors in the ocean. In addition, our findings suggest that terrestrial
ranges will expand polewards under climate warming, creating novel species
interactions, while marine species will shift as more coherent assemblages.
15/1056
Climate induced changes in Northern Ireland’s subtidal macrobenthos.
Claire Goodwin
1
, Elisabeth Strain
3
, Hugh Edwards
2
, Joseph Breen
2
, Bernard
Picton
1
1
National Museums Northern Ireland, Cultra, Holywood, County Down, UK,
2
Northern
Ireland Environment Agency, Belfast, UK,
3
Queens University Belfast, Belfast, UK
Abstract
Global climate change is predicted to have major impacts on biodiversity through
changes in species distribution. However, the effect on sublittoral macrobenthos
has been little studied, mainly because of the lack of comparable data.
Between 1982 and 1986 the ‘Northern Ireland Sublittoral Survey’ Project (NISS),
a scuba diving survey of the coast was conducted, providing baseline data on
sublittoral species and habitats. Between 2006 and 2008 the ‘Sublittoral Survey
Northern Ireland’ project resurveyed selected areas. Northern Ireland is at the
interface of the Boreal and Lusitanean provinces and therefore presents an ideal
area to study species at the extremes of their ranges. Multivariate analyses were
used to compare the fauna of three areas: Strangford Lough, the Skerries and
Rathlin Island. Community structure in all areas had changed significantly since
1985 with Strangford Lough exhibiting the largest change. Across Northern
Ireland a number of warmer water species including the crab Maja brachydactyla,
and the sponges Axinella dissimilis and A. damicornis had significantly increased
in abundance and some northern species such as the ascidian Synoicum
pulmonaria had declined. We discuss factors influencing these changes and the
potential effects of climate change on sublittoral biodiversity.
68
15/1127
P
redicting responses of an introduced seagrass to global climate change in the
P
acific Northwest, USA
D
eborah Shafer
Engineer Research and Development Center, Vicksburg, MS, USA
Abstract
Z
ostera japonica is an introduced seagrass along the Pacific Coast that is
d
istributed from Northern California, USA to British Columbia, Canada. This
species is expanding its range latitudinally, concomitantly with an increase in the
a
bundance and distribution across the salinity gradient within estuaries. Climate
models predict temperature and salinity regimes are likely to change due to
more frequent storms and increased temperatures. We evaluated
p
hotosynthetic responses of 2 Z. japonica populations located near the northern
a
nd southern limits of distribution exposed to a range of salinities (5, 20 and 35).
W
e also evaluated high temperature thermal stress responses of populations
e
xposed to a constant water temperature of 35 °C at the same salinities levels.
O
ur data indicate Z. japonica can be considered a euryhaline species, displaying
minimum R
d
rates, lower compensation irradiance, higher saturation irradiance,
and greater P
max
rates at a salinity of 20. At 35 °C, shoot mortality ranged
between 58 - 94%. Mortality was greater at 5 than at 20 or 35. Plants from the
southern population appear better adapted to handle high temperature stress.
Z. japonica will continue to expand its distribution into lower-salinity areas, and
s
outhward until it reaches systems that regularly exceed the temperature
t
olerances.
15/1134
I
n situ experimental approach to study harpacticoid copepods response to
a
noxia in the Northern Adriatic
M
ateja Grego
1
,
Bettina Riedel
2
,
Marleen De Troch
3
,
Michael Stachowitsch
2
1
National Institute of Biology, Marine Biology Station, Piran, Slovenia,
2
University of
V
ienna, Department of Marine Biology, Vienna, Austria,
3
G
hent University, Marine
B
iology Research group, Ghent, Belgium
Abstract
Eutrophic marine coastal systems are prone to hypoxia and anoxia. Nearly 415
s
uch systems have been identified worldwide. Since the mid-1970s, severe
oxygen deficiencies have been reported in the Northern Adriatic on a regular
basis, causing benthic mortalities. Harpacticoid copepods are known to respond
r
apidly to hypoxic conditions and their density can decrease quickly and even
d
rop to zero in prolonged anoxic conditions. In this area 130 species of
h
arpacticoid copepods were recorded, therefore it is a unique - highly diverse
a
rea, appropriate to answer at questions like; how is benthic meiofaunal diversity
a
ffected by hypoxia/anoxia, which are the sensitive or tolerant species and how
does this relate to their contribution to ecosystem functioning? For this purpose
an underwater-chamber EAGU - Experimental Anoxia Generating Unit -was
placed in situ at a depth of 24m to generate autonomously small-scale oxygen
deficiencies while recording changes in chemo-physical parameters during the
experiment. The harpacticoid copepods from the anoxic chamber were stained
w
ith the CellTracker Green (CTG) which is a fluorogenic probe causing only live
s
pecimen to fluoresce. By slicing the sediment, this study provides also
information on depth distribution of harpacticoid copepods in oxic and anoxic
sediments.
1
6/0065
G
uiding Principles for Design of Fishery Monitoring Programs
Erika Zollett
1
, Robert Trumble
1
, Jill Swasey
1
, Kate Bonzon
2
1
MRAG Americas, St. Petersburg FL, USA,
2
Environmental Defense Fund, San
F
rancisco CA, USA
Abstract
Fisheries comprise a key aspect of changes in marine biodiversity. Successful
f
ishery management requires reliable monitoring and reporting components, yet
m
any fisheries have struggled to achieve effective monitoring programs. Many
monitoring programs in place today have evolved haphazardly over time. High
c
osts of monitoring programs have presented challenges to implementing
comprehensive monitoring programs. MRAG Americas convened two panels of
i
nternational experts familiar with monitoring programs to provide
recommendations that can be applied to other fisheries on the development of
comprehensive monitoring programs. These recommendations form nine
categories of ‘guiding principles,’ which offer specificity but remain general
enough to allow monitoring program development on a fishery-by-fishery basis.
The inter-related guiding principles work best if considered simultaneously, and
will help managers in a diversity of fisheries weigh the costs and benefits of
various monitoring strategies. Monitoring programs are not static and may
evolve or adapt as needs or circumstances change. Application of the guiding
principles can help assure that monitoring programs evolve in an effective and
efficient manner yet maintain a level of stability and confidence to allow for
business plans to be developed, and can lead to more effective monitoring
programs that support resource sustainability and other biological goals of
management.
1
6/0231
S
haring data for conservation. Atlas of marine biodiversity in the Balearic Sea
Salud Deudero
1
, Maurici Ruiz
2
, Margalida Obrador
1
, Joan Vallespir
1
, Xisco
Alemany
1
, Antonio Box
2
, Aina Carbonell
1
, Maria Luz Fernadez de Puelles
1
, Raquel
G
oñi
1
,
Xavier Jansa
1
,
et al.
1
Instituto Español de Oceanografia, Spain,
2
Universitat Illes Balears, Spain
Abstract
T
he marine biodiversity atlas of Balearic Sea is a pioneer action at
M
editerranean since it is aiming at integrating marine information about
taxonomic groups from more than 30 years of research and campaigns carried
o
ut by the Centre Oceanogràfic de Balears (COB-IEO). Combining information
from so many biological groups allows a more integrated vision of the
d
istribution patterns of species, therefore representing a powerful tool for
management decision processes and further planning at coastal areas.
This project covers a sea area of 150.000 km2 and integrates a wide array of
taxonomic groups: 33 phylum, 615 families, 1058 genus and 1600 marine species
in the Balearic Islands so far.
A database has been build comprising 35000 registers from 1600 marine species
covering from foraminifera, sponges, algae, crustaceans, fitoplancton, to fishes.
A spatial data infrastructure has been developed composed by a set of tools that
allow an interoperable access to the data and the metadata with standards
following the European Directive INSPIRE. These standards allow us to expose
the data stored in the database to external applications.
This GIS geoportal represents a useful tool for decision making processes for
coastal management, ranging from recreational uses, marine protected areas,
fisheries, industry and conservation purposes.
16/0260
New approach to marine species check-lists compilation: Black sea experience
Kseniia Skuratova
, Oleksandra Sergeyeva, Iuliia Bryantseva, Volodymyr
Vladymyrov
Institute of Biology of the Southern Seas, Sevastopol, Crimea, Ukraine
Abstract
The Black sea phytoplankton check-list was created using special software
based on modified WIKI technology. It incorporates information from more than
30 sources so far, including databases, identification books, published papers
and personal check-lists, obtained from all countries of the region. About 8000
records were analyzed and cross-checked with authoritative sources, such as
WoRMS, covering timeline from 1886 to 2010. At the moment it consists of 1607
species (in comparison with 700-800 species mentioned in majority of the
publications) with additional information on volumes, shapes and other
properties, such as habitat, harmful effect, etc. Also for each source special page
with description was created, listing period covered, detailed map, description of
sampling, processing, identification methodology, etc.
Shapes are described by a 2D and/or 3D image and volume and surface
calculations presented by simplified and more accurate formulae obtained from
studies of Ukrainian specialists and other options derived from scientific
publications on genus level.
Gathering all species reported by specialists from different countries for the
Black sea waters in one place creates a unique opportunity to obtain unified and
fullest view of phytoplankton variety (biodiversity) in the area. Given this profound
time coverage, tendencies in phytoplankton biodiversity changes may be found.
16/0328
The Ocean Biogeographic Information System: current state and future plans
Edward Vanden Berghe
1
, J. Frederick Grassle
2
, Nicolas Bailly
3
, Michel
Claereboudt
4
, Bruno Danis
5
, et al.
1
Ocean Biogeographic Information System (IOC/IODE), New Brunswick, New Jersey,
USA,
2
Rutgers University, New Brunswick, USA,
3
Worldfish Center, Los Banos,
4
Sultan Qaboos University, Oman,
5
SCAR-MarBIN, Brussels, Belgium et al.
Abstract
The Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS) is an online, freely
accessible system for absorbing, integrating, and assessing data on life in the
oceans. OBIS aims to stimulate taxonomic and systematic research, and
generate new hypotheses concerning evolutionary processes, maintenance of
species distributions, and roles of marine organisms in marine ecosystems. It
serves as a basis for informed management of marine biodiversity by making
data freely accessible over the Internet and interoperable with other data
systems. Today, OBIS contains more than 30 million records of from 900
individual datasets. Established by the Census of Marine Life programme, OBIS
is now part of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO
under its International Oceanographic Data and Information Exchange
programme. A global network of Regional and Thematic OBIS Nodes assures the
worldwide scientific support needed to fulfil its global mission. The IT
infrastructure of OBIS was recently rebuilt; plans for future developments will be
discussed. The content of the OBIS holdings is explored, and recent published
analyses will be referred to. The marine biodiversity community is invited to
contribute to OBIS, with tools and/or data, and to make use of the data holdings
available through OBIS for their own analyses.
69
16/0333
I
ntegrating biogeographic data in OBIS: challenges in standardisation of
t
axonomic names
E
dward Vanden Berghe
1
,
Brook Herlach
1
,
Nicolas Bailly
2
,
Michel Claereboudt
3
,
B
runo Danis
4
,
Ursula von St Ange
5
1
O
cean Biogeographic Information System (IOC/IODE), New Brunswick, New Jersey,
U
SA,
2
W
orldfish Center, Los Banos, -,
3
S
ultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman,
4
S
CAR-MarBIN, Brussels, Belgium,
5
C
ouncil for Scientific and Industrial Research,
S
tellenbosch, South Africa,et al.
A
bstract
Individual studies are restricted in the amount of data they can generate, but by
combining the results from many studies, massive databases can be created that
m
ake possible analyses on a different scale. The Ocean Biogeographic
I
nformation System (OBIS, http://www.iobis.org) integrates data from a vast
n
umber of individual databases/datasets. This integration necessitates the strict
a
pplication of controlled vocabularies to assure that content from the different
s
ources is properly interpreted. For taxonomy, OBIS has used several standard
reference taxonomic lists to standardise the spelling of taxonomic names,
deciding on synonymy, and assigning names to a classification. Statistics were
calculated on the number of name strings that ultimately resolved to the same
correctly spelled name and to the currently accepted name: total number of
distinct strings representing taxa, as contributed by our data providers, was
3
16,688; this was reduced to 151,124 names following consensus spelling,
c
orresponding to 138,091 valid taxa, of which 112,780 are valid marine species.
General trends of diversity were calculated on the raw names, the cleaned-up
names, and the accepted names, and the resulting maps compared with each
other.
16/0401
T
owards an efficient use of literature information for biodiversity research:
P
elagic chaetognaths- a case study
H
iroomi Miyamoto
,
Hiroshi Itoh, Moriyuki Kotori, Shuhei Nishida
U
niversity of Tokyo, Chiba, Japan
Abstract
Z
ooplankton play major roles in marine ecosystems, but our knowledge on their
community structure and diversity is still limited with a large gap in geographic
c
overage. Here we demonstrate that under-utilized datasets of zooplankton that
have been sleeping in large volumes of papers are rich sources of information to
fill this gap, by using pelagic chaetognaths, a major carnivorous zooplankton, as
a
model group. While there are more than 140 papers or data reports on pelagic
c
haetognaths in the Indo-Pacific Region, few attempts have been made to
i
ntegrate the data on which these papers were based. On the basis of these
d
atasets we have analyzed the species composition and distribution of
c
haetognaths, with concurrent evaluation of data quality and standardization in
terms of taxonomic accuracy and quantification. These analyses have revealed
several interesting patterns, for example: highly diverse chaetognath fauna in the
waters surrounding Japan, sudden decrease of species richness and diversity
from temperate to subarctic waters, presence of seven distinct groups of
samples with similar species composition, and characteristic seasonal patterns
i
n these groups. The present results suggest usefulness of integrating the
i
nformation that have so far been scattered and under-utilized for the evaluation
of status of pelagic communities.
1
6/0474
I
ntegration of marine ecological data from different sources = Added-value for
data, science and policy
Leen Vandepitte
, Simon Claus, Klaas Deneudt, Ward Appeltans, Nathalie De
H
auwere, Bart Vanhoorne, Francisco Hernandez, Jan Mees
Flanders Marine Institute, Oostende, Belgium
Abstract
I
n our rapidly changing oceans and seas, there is an increasing need to measure
m
arine biodiversity and to quantify the rate at which it is changing. The European
Ocean Biodiversity Information System (EurOBIS) and its global counterpart
O
BIS, aim to map marine biodiversity by bringing together datasets so far mostly
scattered throughout the scientific landscape. Mapping marine biodiversity is not
o
nly of interest to researchers; policy makers also need access to this
information to be able to contribute to the discussions on management issues in
e.g. the European Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD).
By combining the available data from EurOBIS and the GIS information of the
VLIZ Maritime Boundaries Geodatabase (MarBound), scientists can produce a
number of data products valuable to public authorities. Through the European
Marine Observation and Data Network (EMODnet), these derived or processed
biological data and data products will be made accessible online, serving
researchers, public authorities and private bodies.
A considerable effort however has to be put in a reliable data selection out of the
variety of available data sources in EurOBIS. A match of the occurring species
names with the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) accounts for
synonymy and other taxonomic issues.
1
6/0693
B
iodiversity information networks: dataflows for interdisciplinary science
Bruno Danis
1
, Mark A. Parsons
1
1
R
oyal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels, Belgium,
2
N
ational Snow and
Ice Data Center, Boulder, USA
Abstract
I
n this paper, we present SCAR’s Marine Biodiversity Information Network
(
SCAR-MarBIN, www.scarmarbin.be), introduce the new Antarctic Biodiversity
Information Facility (ANTABIF, www.biodiversity.aq) and argue that it has become
v
ital and practicable to support an international mechanism for the exchange of
scientific data. This approach allows us to integrate large data volumes, and
h
elps modern biologists to face the “data deluge” using new techniques and
technologies currently developed in the field of biodiversity informatics.
Biodiversity is an example of data-intensive science, and certainly requires an
interdisciplinary, scalable approach to address complex systemic problems such
as environmental change and its impact on marine ecosystems. This paper
discusses the experience of data scientists seeking to collect, curate, and provide
data during the timeframe of the International Polar Year. The data content of the
SCAR-MarBIN and ANTABIF holdings have been explored, and recent published
analyses are used to illustrate concrete examples. We find that while technology
is a critical factor to address this dimension, the greater challenges are more
socio-cultural than technical. We describe a vision of discoverable, open, linked,
useful, and safe data and suggest the need for a rapid socio-technical evolution
in the overall science data ecosystem.
16/0928
Quantifying our ignorance: what the Ocean Biogeographic Information System
tells us
Edward Vanden Berghe
1
, Brook Herlach
1
, Camilo Mora
2
, Derek Tittensor
3
1
Ocean Biogeographic Information System, New Brunswick, USA,
2
Dalhousie
University, Halifax, Canada,
3
UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre,
Cambridge, UK
Abstract
The Ocean Biogeographic Information System brings together primary species
distribution data from many different sources. Currently, well over 30 million
distribution records are available. While this number sounds large, data are in
most cases still too sparse for detailed analysis of individual taxa, or individual
regions. However, the present data content does allow us to calculate measures
of our completeness of our taxonomic inventories for several groups, and thus to
quantify our ignorance. Species accumulation curves are used to estimate the
total number of species, and compared with the number of species represented
in OBIS. Fishes are the group that is best documented; for this taxon, it is
possible to investigate the spatial pattern of the completeness our knowledge. A
repeat of an analysis published in 2007 by Mora et al. will be presented; while
this analysis was based on 2.1 million records of marine fish available in OBIS at
that time, this number has now increased to 13.2 million.
17/0119
A close up on the soft-sediment macrobenthos around offshore wind turbines
Delphine Coates
, Jan Vanaverbeke, Magda Vincx
Ghent University - Marine Biology Section, Ghent, Belgium
Abstract
Two offshore wind farms are currently functional in the Belgian part of the North
Sea. During the first years after implementation, no large-scale impacts were
detected on the soft-sediment macrobenthos. Therefore, a small scale sampling
strategy was carried out during 2010-2011 to detect any impacts around one
turbine on the Thorntonbank. The increased epifaunal communities colonizing
the hard substrates could produce organic enriched sediments, possibly
modifying the soft-sediment macrobenthic communities. Sediment samples
were taken along four gradients, two parallel and two perpendicular to the
currents. The samples at one and seven metres from the scour protection
systems (boulders) were taken by divers. Samples further away from the
boulders were taken using a Van Veen grab on a small research vessel. First
results show a shift in macrobenthic communities at the closest samples to the
boulders which demonstrate the importance of a small-scale sampling strategy
to determine the effects of turbines on the macrobenthos. Any impacts detected
at small-scale can be extrapolated to a possible large-scale impact. Since future
plans have been made to construct additional wind farms in the North Sea it is
very important to understand the possible changes that could occur in the
marine environment.
70
17/0423
U
sing video-mosaics to characterise marine habitats from a highly exposed
a
rea of Norway’s west coast.
M
arie-Lise Schläppy
1
,
Aleksej Shashkov
2
,
Thomas G Dahlgren
1
,
Sergej Olenin
2
1
Uni Research (Uni Enviroment), Bergen, Norway,
2
Coastal Research and Planning
I
nstitute, Klaip da University, Klaipeda, Lithuania
Abstract
F
ew shallow marine habitats remain unexplored, however sites exposed to
severe waves and strong tidal currents can preclude biodiversity assessments
t
hrough standard sampling techniques and can be de facto remote areas. In this
study, a habitat and biodiversity assessment was carried out using a remotely
operated vehicle (ROV) offshore of Ålesund on the west coast of Norway. The site
i
s characterised by a complex bathymetry (0-150 m depth), and a variety of
s
ubstrata types. The characterisation of habitats was carried out through
q
uantitative estimates of benthic features using a video-mosaic technique where
t
he video was divided into 30 seconds samples, which were then described by
s
ets of benthic features. The most frequent benthic covers were sand, bedrock,
stones and kelp, while the most common organisms included sea stars (5 spp.),
bryozoans (4 spp.), serpulid polycheaetes (3 spp.), sea urchins (3 spp.), sponges
(3 spp.) and various types of algae, such as encrusting algae (e.g. Lithotamnium
sp.) or large and leafy species such as Dilsea carnosa and Laminaria
hyperborean. The combination of video capture through ROV and the video-
m
osaic technique proved an efficient way to describe habitats characteristics and
a
ssess biodiversity quantitatively in an environment otherwise difficult to access.
17/0441
M
arine renewable energy structures: Do artificial hard substrate communities
f
acilitate the propagation of non-native species in high energy environments?
A
drian Macleod
,
Elizabeth J Cook, Michele Stanley
The Scottish Association for Marine Science, Oban, UK
Abstract
T
he anthropogenic introduction of species outside their natural range is believed
t
o be one of the largest threats to biodiversity worldwide. This has driven a need
to understand the mechanisms of transport, as well as the key characteristics of
i
ntroduced organisms and recipient habitats that bring about significant
ecological changes. The large scale addition of artificial substrate associated
with the marine renewable energy industry has the potential to promote the
s
pread of marine non-native species. However, little is known about how high
f
low environments, suitable for many types of energy generation, shape the
t
ypical epibenthic communities resident on devices. A network of navigation
b
uoys were used to study epibenthic communities typical of artificial substrate in
t
idal areas proposed for marine energy generation. These communities were
found to be complex across a wide range of hydrodynamic conditions. Large
numbers of Caprella mutica, a non-native amphipod, were found on many buoys.
This identifies a non-native species of particular importance to the marine
renewable energy industry. Flume based studies as well as buoy based surveys
are ongoing to investigate many of the likely positive and negative ecological
e
ffects of this type of technology.
1
7/0509
S
uccessful tidal power and a healthy marine environment; compatible or
mutually exclusive?
Nicola O’Keeffe
A
PEM Ltd, Stockport, Cheshire, UK
Abstract
Global and European policy is increasingly focused towards the reduction of CO
2
e
missions and the use of renewable energy sources. As a potential long term
(
>100 years) source of reliable, renewable, low-carbon energy, the harnessing of
tidal power from estuaries in the UK offers an approach that could tackle key
c
urrent issues of climate change and energy security.
E
nvironmental legislation and public perception of the value of natural habitats
and conservation however, has also developed apace, which combined with the
u
nique nature of many estuaries, requires a balance between energy production
and environmental protection to be rigorously maintained. There is an obvious
need to determine whether the energy benefits outweigh any negative
environmental impact aspects.
The potential risks to marine ecology from the development of tidal power is set
to be a key determinand in the successful consenting of such schemes. This
presentation will discuss the potential impacts upon marine ecology from tidal
power, assessment techniques, optimisation measures and the identification of
‘feasible’ mitigation and compensation measures. As lead for the migratory and
estuarine fish topic of the recent SEA for the Severn Tidal Power Scheme I will
use this study as an example throughout the presentation discussions.
1
7/0529
P
otential effects of marine renewable energy installations on seabirds in the
Pentland Firth and Orkney waters.
Helen Wade
1
, Angus Jackson
2
1
E
nvironmental Research Institute - UHI, Thurso, Scotland, UK,
2
N
orth Highland
College
Abstract
T
he marine renewable energy industry is growing rapidly in Scotland, with areas
o
f the Pentland Firth and Orkney waters proposed to become ‘the Saudi Arabia of
renewable energy’. These energy-rich waters support diverse marine life,
i
ncluding seabirds. However, effects of wave and tidal energy installations on
these top predators are unknown. Understanding the use of these waters by
s
eabirds is essential in order to assess potential effects resulting from
renewable energy installations. By monitoring seabirds at sea through a
combination of telemetry and terrestrial and boat-based observations, we have
established preliminary information detailing species abundance and habitat
use, indicating emerging associations with oceanographic features.
Identification of these oceanographic features could define seabird habitat use
and key areas of productivity, both important considerations in marine spatial
planning. We aim to establish flight lines from breeding colonies to foraging
areas to ascertain whether proposed installations will disrupt flight routes of
breeding birds, with implications for fitness and reproductive success. By
identifying the species utilising proposed installation sites we can highlight those
at greatest risk of collision with devices. Establishing the use of proposed
renewable energy sites by seabirds will identify potential effects and aid the
conservation of seabirds and their prey.
17/0563
Biodiversity impacts of marine renewable energies
Annette Broderick, Brendan Godley, Matthew Witt
University of Exeter, Cornwall, UK
Abstract
The potential to capture energy from waves has seen increasing interest, with
pilot developments in several nations. These Marine Renewable Energy
Installations (MREI) are likely to become a larger part of the energy-mix of the
future. As these technologies mature they are likely, in combination with wind
and tidal energy, to result in large-scale transformation of seascapes. Such
changes are accompanied by uncertainty regarding their impacts to biodiversity.
To date, biodiversity impacts have not been adequately assessed as wave energy
converters have not yet been fully developed. Yet, there is a need to build a
framework of understanding regarding impacts, underpinned by transferable
methodologies that can be used across sites to facilitate meta-analysis.
With reference to our work at the Wave Hub (a MREI in Cornwall, UK) we
investigate the approaches needed to assess impacts to biodiversity. In
particular, we present methods to investigate small cetaceans using a wide-
spatial scale CPOD array deployed in coastal and offshore habitats,
complemented by broad-band sound recording. These data are used to
investigate cetacean detectability with depth, seasonality, interannual variability
and spatial autocorrelation. Furthermore, we estimate the likely degree of
monitoring required at MREI to achieve statistical confidence when assessing
potential impacts.
17/0580
Sonar as a tool to monitor interactions between marine mammals and tidal
turbines; pitfalls and possibilities
Gordon Hastie
, Carol Sparling, Andrew Murray
SMRU Ltd, Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife, UK
Abstract
Advances in the tidal stream energy field have led to concerns about the
potential impacts of devices on marine mammals. To assess interactions with
devices, the use of active sonar is being considered as a means of tracking
animals in high resolution; this is a potentially powerful tool allowing observation
of underwater behaviour in low visibility. However, there is also the potential that
acoustic signals produced by such sonars could cause a range of impacts from
behavioural changes to communication interference. In this study, we tested a
range of multibeam sonars around a tidal turbine in Northern Ireland. Results
showed that marine mammals could be detected in tidally turbulent water;
comparison of sonar detections to sightings made by a visual observer
suggested that 16% of all targets were marine mammals. In addition, we carried
out a series of behavioural response tests with captive porpoises and seals to the
sonar systems; results varied from overt reactions to no observable responses
depending on the sonar tested. We discuss that while sonar can be used to
detect and track marine mammals around tidal turbines, such deployments
should be carried out with caution, as sonar can influence behaviour with
potential ecological or energetic consequences.
71
17/0860
T
he effect of a marine tidal turbine on the epifaunal communities of tide-swept
b
oulders
R
obert Kennedy
1
,
Graham Savidge
1
1
National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland,
2
Queen’s University Belfast
M
arine Laboratory, Portaferry, UK
Abstract
T
he 1.2 MW SeaGen tidal turbine is located in a narrow channel in Northern
Ireland linking the large saline embayment of Strangford Lough to the open
w
aters of the Irish Sea. Maximum current speeds in the channel are >5 m s
-1
with the seabed characterised by tide-swept boulders typical of such high
velocity areas. The associated biotope is described in the EUNIS haibtat
c
alssification scheme (CR.HCR.FaT Very tide-swept faunal communities). The
s
tudy describes results from the baseline and monitoring stages of the survey
p
rogramme initiated to assess the effects on the benthic community arising from
m
odification of the ambient flow-field by Seagen. Very little data concerning the
v
ariability and the effects of disturbance on the biotope were known prior to the
study.
T
he faunal communities downstream of Seagen showed strong seasonality and
spatial structure, but net changes in community structure folowing the
commencement of operation of Seagen were within the natural variability
recorded in the area. A substantial baseline has been obtained that can be used
to determine the effect of sustained turbine operation in the future. The study
has provided a strong basis for more detailed multidisciplinary follow-up
research.
18/0035
M
onitoring and Evaluation of Spatially Managed Areas (MESMA)
Anke Weber Smit
, MESMA Consortium
N
orwegian Institute for Water Research, PO Box 1266 Pirsentret,, 7462 Trondheim,,
Norway
Abstract
T
he seas around Europe are home to an exceptionally wide range of marine
h
abitats while simultaneously supporting a variety of marine industries. ‘Multiple
use’ can cause problems between various user groups (economic interests
v
ersus conservation requirements), and there is also a great potential for
degradation of the marine ecosystems themselves. Therefore a well-planned
approach for spatial development is vital. The challenge is to find an optimal
b
alance between the competing demands of economic use, ecological
d
evelopment, and nature conservation while at the same time maintaining
s
ensitivity towards traditional practices.
M
ESMA is an EU 7
t
h
f
ramework project on Monitoring and Evaluation of Spatially
M
anaged Areas. MESMA operates on a local, national and European scale. Within
M
ESMA 21 partners from 13 countries will evaluate cross border pan-European
c
omparison of spatial management. We base our research on existing data of 9
case studies. The project focuses on marine spatial planning; produce integrated
management tools (concepts, models and guidelines) for monitoring, evaluation
and implementation of Spatially Managed Areas (SMAs).
W
ithin MESMA we involve the stakeholders, assess the conflicts and identify
t
ools for ‘good practice’ management. Beneficiaries of the results will be
governments, local authorities, stakeholders and managerial bodies for planning
a
nd decision-making.
1
8/0204
M
onitoring and Evaluation - adaptation and change in Maritime Spatial Plans
Kate Johnson
, Jonathan Side, Sandy Kerr
Heriot-Watt University, Stromness, Orkney, UK
Abstract
M
aritime Spatial Planning (MSP) is a relatively new tool getting away from single
sector management to set regional master plans addressing multiple objectives
o
f social, economic and environmental importance. As circumstances change a
p
lan must have the capacity to adapt to new conditions, reaping new benefits and
addressing new threats. MESMA is an EU Framework 7 funded research
p
rogramme designed to create a generic framework and tools for the monitoring
and evaluation of spatially managed areas. Institutions from countries across
E
urope are working in partnership to design the framework and test it in ten
national case studies. Heriot-Watt University is leading a case study of the
Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters (PFOW) where the pilot MSP under the new
Marine (Scotland) 2010 Act is under construction driven by the development of
marine (wave and tide) energy. Now, nearly two years into a four year
programme, this paper will examine the progress of MESMA to date and take the
opportunity to delve into all the case study areas (from Norway to Bulgaria) to
see what is happening to MSP elsewhere.
1
8/0257
M
arine biodiversity valuation of the Basque continental shelf (Bay of Biscay),
within the context of the Marine Spatial Planning.
Marta Pascual
1
, Angel Borja
1
, Sarah Vanden Eede
2
, Klaas Deneudt
3
, Ibon
G
alparsoro
1
,
Irati Legorburu
1
1
AZTI-Tecnalia, Marine Research Division, Spain,
2
University of Ghent, Belgium,
3
F
landers Marine Institute, Belgium
Abstract
B
iodiversity needs to be valuated in the framework of the Marine Spatial
Planning. Marine biological valuation has increased in importance in recent
y
ears, due to the need of getting accurate maps of biodiversity value, as it aims
for the compilation of all available biological and ecological information for a
s
elected study area to allocate an integrated intrinsic biological value to the
subzones within the study area. Some case-studies have been investigated
recently in Belgium, Poland or UK on valuing biodiversity in continental shelves.
However, until now, there is a lack of knowledge in biodiversity value in southern
countries. This contribution presents the complete biological valuation map of
the Basque continental shelf and estuaries (northern Spain). This map includes
all available biological data (zooplankton, macroalgae, macrobenthos, demersal
fish, seabirds and cetaceans) from 2003 to 2009, using the methodology
developed for the Belgian Continental Shelf. A comparison between the results
obtained from other European countries and with previously high-importance
delimited zones within the study area will also be covered. Results can serve as
baseline maps for future Marine Spatial Planning and used also for the
determination of the environmental status, within the European Marine Strategy
Framework Directive, for the qualitative descriptor 1 (biodiversity).
18/0398
Predicting temperate reef benthos with high-resolution multibeam data
Nicole Hill
1
, Vanessa Lucieer
1
, Neville Barrett
1
, Tara Anderson
2
1
Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Tasmania,
Australia,
2
Marine and Coastal Environment Group, Geoscience Australia, Canberra,
Australia
Abstract
Planning for the spatial conservation of marine biodiversity is often inhibited by
limited biological data and the cost of undertaking surveys. Predictive modelling
utilising relationships between biota and cost-effectively obtained physical
surrogates may address this gap. Benthic biota are often associated with sea-
floor characteristics, such as bathymetry and complexity, that are captured by
multibeam acoustic data (MB) over large areas at fine resolution. We examined
the utility of multibeam products as surrogates for mapping and predicting the
distribution of sessile biota, a key component of temperate reef biodiversity. In
our analyses, we used topographic variables derived from fine resolution (2m)
bathymetry data, but we also incorporated backscatter data (sea-floor hardness)
using a novel segmentation technique. Biological data from still images were
modelled against seafloor characteristics using boosted regression trees.
Models of key biota had reasonable to excellent predictive performance
(measured by AUC). Depth was important in most models; substratum type,
latitude and slope were also influential for various biota. Novelly, backscatter
variables were also useful surrogates. This study identifies the value of MB
derivatives as surrogates for marine biodiversity. Additionally, probability of
occurance maps (with associated uncertainty) of key biota provide critical
quantitative information for effectively managing marine areas.
18/0650
Classification and prediction of deep-water biotopes in Norway
Pål Buhl-Mortensen
1
, Lene Buhl-Mortensen
1
, Margaret Dolan
1
, Gjertrud Jensen
1
,
Silje Jensen
1
1
Institute of Marine Research, Bergen, Norway,
2
Geological Survey of Norway,
Trondheim, Norway
Abstract
The Mareano mapping programme was launched in 2005 in order to provide
species inventories and better biotope and sediment maps for the southern
Barents Sea and the northern Norwegian Sea. Mareano collects new information
about the seabed and biological communities using a suite of sampling tools
including videorecording and multibeam echosounder (MBE). Results from
analyses of video records from more than 500 offshore sites serve as the main
data material for multi-scaled biotope classification as a basis for prediction.
MBE data provide full coverage bathymetry and acoustic backscatter
information, and gives excellent information about the seabed terrain and the
nature of the seabed (hard, soft bottom etc.). We present a procedure for
classification of seabed observation sites based on species composition, and
evaluation and selection of predictors for full coverage modelling of biotope
distribution. Ordination analyses of large data sets tend to reveal general
patterns with limited relevance for management and improved ecological
understanding. However, sequential analyses of subsets (identified with
Detrended Correspondence Analysis) of the data provide a useful method for
classifying biotopes at a local scale. Prediction of biotope distribution was
performed using different models with the MBES-derived physical seabed
descriptors that combined had the strongest explanatory ability.
72
18/0663
C
an survey-based species assemblage patterns be used to identify closed
a
reas that protect biodiversity?
A
drian Jordaan
,
Michael Frisk
S
oMAS, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, USA
A
bstract
A significant conceptual component required to advance the ecosystem-based
management paradigm is identifying appropriate spatio-temporal scales on
which to base species protection and marine spatial planning. Geographically-
b
ased management parameters for single species, including protected area
b
oundaries and closure periods, involve relatively straightforward considerations
s
uch as knowledge of essential fish habitat. However, as management plans
a
ttempt to incorporate a greater number of species, consistent with the
r
equirements of ecosystem-based fisheries management, the ease of defining
appropriate protected areas or fishing zones becomes significantly more
complicated. Multispecies patterns in biogeography across the northwest
A
tlantic continental shelf, employing multivariate analysis of Federal and State
t
rawl survey data, will be discussed in relation to determining effective area-
b
ased methods. This will be done considering both the original goals of current
c
losed areas and the effectiveness of these towards biodiversity maintenance. In
p
articular, the current locations of closed areas will be discussed in relation to
biodiversity hotspots and areas of high by-catch.
18/0769
M
odelling species distributions using GLM: the impact spatial exploitation and
c
limate change
S
andrine Vaz
1
,
Youen Vermard
1
,
Laure Gardel
2
1
I
fremer, Boulogne sur Mer, France,
2
F
oresea, Boulogne sur Mer, France
A
bstract
Due to the intense human use of the eastern English Channel area, it is
important, in a context of spatial management of the living resources, to be able
to define the factors affecting their distributions. Data collected during sea
s
urveys, hydrodynamic models’ outputs and satellite data were gathered to
d
escribe environmental and physical conditions encountered in the area. For a
s
election of fish, generalised linear modelling was used to produce species
d
istribution models of the average preferential habitat. These models of marine
f
ish distributions, describing the environmental preferences of key species and
some of their ecophases in the Eastern Channel were spatially extended in the
Southern part of the North Sea. They have been further enriched by including the
e
ffect of stock size, fishing mortality and fishing effort to quantify the relative
e
ffect of each component (environmental and demographic) on the population
d
istributions. These models have then been used to simulate the effects of
b
iological or climate change scenarios on fish distribution.
1
8/0851
H
abitat classification and target setting for a systematic conservation approach
in the eastern English Channel
Juliette Delavenne
1
, Kristian Metcalfe
2
, Sandrine Vaz
1
, R.J. Smith
2
, Jean-Claude
D
auvin
3
1
IFREMER, boulogne sur mer, France,
2
Durell Institute of Conservation and Ecology
(DICE), Canterbury, UK,
3
University of Caen Basse Normandie, Caen, France
Abstract
C
lassifying marine habitats is a growing research field and is of increasing
interest to conservation planners and managers. Most studies predominantly
f
ocus on the seabed in order to determine benthic habitat types and so little work
has been done on the water column. These classification projects aim to identify
m
anagement units for the application of various European or national
regulations such as the EU Water Framework Directive. Moreover, as European
c
ountries have to produce an ecologically coherent network of marine protected
areas by 2012, few studies have developed targets for how much of each of these
habitat types should be included in these networks.
The Eastern English Channel is an important region for a variety of activities
such as leisure, tourism, the exploitation of living or abiotic marine resources,
and supports a number of important marine biological features. The aim of this
study is to provide conservation targets for this area based on differing habitat
types - including pelagic ones - and species datasets to study to what extent the
choice of the method or the habitat typology will influence conservation targets.
Species-area relationships will be used to determine the targets and this will
provide important data for conservation planners.
1
8/0924
I
nfection levels on a Cyathura carinata (Isopoda) population in a restored
estuarine system: the influence of seagrass recovery
Maria Bordalo
1
, Susana Ferreira
2
, Leston Sara
1
, Miguel Pardal
1
1
U
niversity of Coimbra, , Portugal,
2
P
olytechnic Institute of Leiria, Peniche, Portugal
Abstract
A restoration programme was launched in the Mondego Estuary (Portugal) to
recover seagrass Zostera noltii bed threatened by eutrophication. This
r
estoration outcome was investigated on infection levels of a Cyathura carinata
population, in three sites: a bare sand flat, a recently re-vegetated intermediate
a
rea and a Z. noltii bed. At the sand flat, where an abundant and well-age
structured population can be found, there were no differences of both total and
i
nfected densities between pre and post-management periods. Contrarily, in the
vegetated areas while seagrass biomass increased, C. carinata’s density strongly
d
eclined through time. It did not establish successfully, contrarily to other key
species, in great part due to parasitism pressure. In both Z. noltii bed and
intermediate area an increased density of the upstream host (Hydrobia ulvae)
population was observed, concomitant with the seagrass recovery, contributing
to elevated infection prevalence. This high pressure was absent at the sand flat
area. Parasitism impact on their hosts survival, namely due to high intensity and
prevalence values, may contribute to the population decline. Integral seagrass
recovery may endanger the survival of this species. Infection levels on key
species and their implications need to be acknowledged to comprehend their
response to changing conditions.
18/0983
Australia’s vision for a 21
st
century coastal and ocean assessment and
prediction system
Ian Cresswell
CSIRO, Hobart, Australia
Abstract
The existing economic uses of our marine environment, as well as emerging
major coastal and maritime industry opportunities, mean that the pressures on
our marine estate are growing. To deal with the complex environmental,
economic and social problems that lay in front of us Australia needs to develop
an enduring, integrated set of assessment and prediction services for
sustainable marine and coastal development and conservation. Decision making
places significant pressure on harvesting existing data and interpreting new
information in order to ascertain the best way forward. To date we have not
understood the overall cumulative effects of our decisions on our natural and
built capital. While longstanding strategies and programs are in place for
sustainable use and conservation it has not been possible to assess their
effectiveness both individually and intoto. Tools are under development to assess
the impact of our management measures, and to increase our ability to
adaptively manage as new information becomes available.
Despite limitations in our knowledge base we are on the cusp of a revolution in
new technologies for monitoring and modelling. This talk provides a vision for
pulling together Australia’s existing marine and coastal monitoring and
modelling efforts into a suite of assessment and prediction services.
18/1019
Stakeholder involvement in the management of the marine ecosystem: the EU
case study
Arianna Broggiato
, Despina Symons
EBCD - European Bureau for Conservation and Development, Bruxelles, Belgium
Abstract
One of the main principles of the ecosystem approach is full stakeholder
participation. The marine environment is subject to several, often contrasting
activities: from shipping to fisheries, energy, tourism, aquaculture. Besides,
other interests are involved: the ones of the civil society represented by
environmental NGOs. The tool for an effective integrated maritime policy (IMP) is
marine spatial planning, where all the interests (economic, social and
environmental) are balanced according to the best available scientific knowledge.
Therefore scientists are part of the stakeholder group.
Within the European Union different advisory bodies have been established to
provide a stakeholder confrontation: the Regional Advisory Councils (RACs) and
the Advisory Committee for Fisheries and Aquaculture. The Task Force on data-
deficiency established by the North West Waters RAC and the North Sea RAC is a
promising example of collaboration between scientists and the other
stakeholders. Moreover, within the IMP, greater attention is given to the
partnership between industry and scientists. The different interests need to be
represented but above to enhance their dialogue and develop a common
language through inter-disciplinary practices, such as the ones under
development in the EU, likely to be improved through the reform of the Common
Fisheries Policy.
73
19/0026
L
ong term research of the Dogger Bank Epibenthos (North Sea): loss of
b
iodiversity and changes in climate.
M
oritz Sonnewald
1
,
Michael Tuerkay
1
1
Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BIK-F), Frankfurt am Main, Hesse,
G
ermany,
2
S
enckenberg Research Institute & Natural Museum, Frankfurt am Main,
H
esse, Germany
Abstract
Since 1991, a long term study has been conducted on a yearly basis at a research
a
rea at the Dogger Bank, containing 37 locations. The sampling sites cover an area
of 17.000 km² and are located at the economic zones of the UK, the Netherlands
and Germany. Until today, 17 summer cruises and two winter cruises (to study
s
pecies composition at minimal temperatures) were performed. On each cruise, a
b
eam trawl was used for epifaunal sampling at all locations. Additionally,
t
emperature, salinity and current parameters were sampled with different probes.
T
he epifaunal community structure was corellated with a comprehensive
t
emperature dataset to explain a considerable decrease in biodiversity and species
r
ichness during the research period.
Today, british power concerns are planning to build an offshore-windpark covering
8660km² of the british economic zone at the Dogger Bank. Potential impacts of the
building activities on the epifauna could be studied by a set of additional, specific
r
esearch cruises with our long term dataset as a basic reference.
A biodiversity loss at the Dogger Bank, being a potential stepping stone for
offspring recruitment for the surrounding marine areas, could have consequences
f
or the fishery of all neighbouring countrys, which should not be underestimated.
19/0088
S
cale-dependent patterns of variability in rocky shore communities of
H
elgoland (German Bight, North Sea)
K
atharina Reichert
1
,
Friedrich Buchholz
1
,
Luis Giménez
2
1
Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven, Germany,
2
S
chool of Ocean Sciences, Bangor University, Menai Bridge, Anglesey, UK
Abstract
R
ocky shore communities vary under the influence of a combination of abiotic
and biotic factors which operate at different spatial and temporal scales.
I
dentifying relevant scales of variation help to formulate hypotheses and design
manipulative experiments or monitoring programs at appropriate scales. At the
rocky intertidal of the island of Helgoland (German Bight, North Sea) the
v
ariation in benthic assemblages was investigated seasonally from 2004 to 2006.
A
t two study sites data were taken at three spatial scales: centimetres, < 40
m
etres and > 40 metres. The results showed that the distribution patterns of the
b
enthic assemblages at the Helgoland intertidal were scale-dependent.
M
oreover, the study suggests that the relevant processes shaping the
assemblages vary between location, time of sampling and according to whether
species are rare or common. Temporal inconsistency in the spatial patterns, and
the fact that rare and common species vary at different scales highlight the
necessity for multiple scale sampling designs for monitoring changes of
intertidal communities.
1
9/0139
S
tudying functional diversity (FD) in natural phytoplankton communities -
about the methodology and results from Baltic Sea phytoplankton
Riina Klais
, Kalle Olli, Olga Veresova
T
artu University, Tartu, Estonia
Abstract
Functional diversity (FD) concerns a range of things that organisms do in
c
ommunities and ecosystems, rather than a number of species counted in a
s
ample. Measuring the diversity of functions instead of a number of species
should presumably provide a more realistic estimate of the occupation of
a
vailable niches by already existing species. An emerging consensus in
biodiversity research states that ecosystem functioning and invasibility by new
s
pecies are depending on how well the niches are occupied and hence the
available resurces exploited.
Natural communities of single-celled planktonic microalgae remain to be a
challenge in terms of measuring the FD due to a high number of species with
limited number of functional traits that can be assigned to all of them with a
reasonable certainty. Herein we show the decadal changes and seasonal and
spatial variability of phytoplankton FD in the Baltic Sea, based on roughly 10 000
qualitative phytoplankton samples collected between 1966-2008. We also discuss
the different ways to calculate and measure the FD in a phytoplankton
community, e.g. selection of most informative functional traits and indices.
1
9/0181
T
emporal patterns of copepods diversity in the central-southern coastal
upwelling system off Chile
Ruben Escribano
, Pamela Hidalgo, Katty Donoso
U
niversity of Concepcion, Concepcion, Chile
Abstract
Since 2002 the COPAS Centre initiated a monthly time series study at Station 18
o
ver the continental shelf off Concepcion (36°30’S). Copepod species and their
a
bundances have been estimated since then from monthly samples of
zooplankton. In this study, we assessed changes in copepods diversity over the
i
ntra-seasonal, seasonal and inter-annual time scales. From 75 species the
calanoid Paracalanus indicus and Acartia tonsa, along with the cyclopoid Oithona
s
imilis were the dominant copepods. The community descriptors, species
abundance (N), species number (s) and the Shannon-Wiener diversity index (H)
as weighed by species size, strongly varied depending on upwelling conditions,
such that increased diversity is expected under prevailing upwelling, and a lower
one upon downwelling condition. Copepod size appears as a key feature to
consider when assessing changes in the H index. The coupling between
upwelling variation and copepod diversity seems related to changes in species
aggregation driven by the ascent of a shallow oxygen minimum zone (OMZ),
strengthening of vertical gradients in the upper layer (<100 m) and potential food
(phytoplankton) aggregation during the blooming season. Our findings suggest
that variation in intensity of wind-driven upwelling may substantially explain
temporal changes in copepod biodiversity in coastal upwelling zones.
19/0195
Benthic diversity gradients and shifting baselines: implications for assessing
environmental status
Anna Villnäs
2
, Alf Norkko
1
1
Department of Marine Ecology - Kristineberg, University of Gothenburg,
Fiskebäckskil, Sweden,
2
Marine Research Centre, SYKE, Helsinki, Finland
Abstract
The increasing pressure on marine biodiversity emphasizes the importance of
finding benchmarks against which to assess change. This is a notoriously
difficult task in estuarine ecosystems, where environmental gradients are steep,
and where biodiversity is highly variable in space and time. There is a general
problem of defining quantitative baselines in benthic diversity, which would
enable comparisons across broad spatial scales. By taking advantage of long-
term monitoring data, we provide a comprehensive analysis of benthic , , and
-diversity, encompassing the salinity gradient of the open sea areas of the
brackish-water Baltic Sea. Using a relatively simple measure, average regional
diversity, we define area-specific reference conditions and acceptable deviation
against which to gauge current conditions in benthic macrofaunal diversity.
Results show a severely impaired condition throughout large areas of the Baltic
for the period 2001-2006. All ecosystems are plagued by baselines that shift in
time and space and their definition is not trivial, but average regional diversity
may offer a transparent way to deal with such changes in low-diversity systems.
Identifying baselines will be of increasing importance given the potential of
climatic drivers to interact with local anthropogenic stressors to affect patterns
of biodiversity.
19/0211
Floristic changes in the Northern Adriatic Sea: climatic changes or
anthropogenic pressure?
Annalisa Falace, Paola Sist, Ranieri Urbani
Department of Life Sciences – University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
Abstract
The algal flora, widely used to monitor the coastal ecosystems, is regarded as a
good descriptor of the environmental characteristics as suggested by the most
recent European Directives on marine coastal water quality.
Over past decades in the northern Adriatic Sea (northern Mediterranean Sea)
marked changes in terms of species diversity and spatial distribution of
macroalgae have been reported. The comparison of the present algal flora with
previous florist data reveals a significant reduction/disappearance of sensitive
species of Fucales in many areas.
The observed changes seems to be the results of a complex interplay of factors
like human impacts (nutrients, sedimentation, dredging, contamination) and
biotic perturbations (grazing), that seem to be also related to climatic change
evidences.
In the coastal sediments metal and organic pollution seems to play an important
rule in the biological response of the algal community leading to some evidences
of algal adaptation and of biodiversity changes. In this study recent and past data
on the sediment quality are presented and discussed with the relation to the
macroalgal community changes observed.
Finally, the natural periodicity of some algal communities may contribute to
explain those fluctuations observed over the long time scale.
74
19/0230
A
decade of the Baltic HMAP regional case study: known, unknown and
u
nknowable
H
enn Ojaveer
1
,
Brian MacKenzie
2
,
Margit Eero
2
,
Julia Lajus
3
1
University of Tartu, Estonia,
2
National Institute for Aquatic Resources, Technical
U
niversity of Denmark, Denmark,
3
C
enter for Environmental and Technological
H
istory, European University at St. Petersburg, Russian Federation
Abstract
The presentation analyses the most important aspects of the Baltic HMAP study
i
n relation to the CoML KUU (known, unknown and unknowable) approach. The
long-term perspective, amended with knowledge from archaeological studies,
enabled us to identify patterns and processes of how climate variability and
c
hange has influenced the distribution and abundance of fish populations and
h
ow this impact has interacted with a variety of human-induced pressures.
S
everal of these factors were possible to address due to a longer time series of
t
he main predator fish population, eastern Baltic cod, which became available,
c
overing the onset of intensification of several human activities and periods with
variable climate in the 20th century. In addition to improved ecological
knowledge, results of the Baltic HMAP will contribute to establishing of new
ecosystem and fishery management strategies for the Baltic Sea. Future work
should amongst others, focus on past dynamics of the two key forage species
(sprat and herring) which in combination with cod could enable studying multi-
d
ecadal scale changes in top-down and bottom-up processes and related
i
nteractions. Further, a more complete survey of historical marine biodiversity
should be undertaken, which in addition to fish would also include
phytoplankton, bottom vegetation and invertebrates.
19/0308
C
urrents, connectivity and cryptic species on the southern Australian
c
oastline: comparative analyses of responses to sea level change and
glaciation in seven widely-distributed echinoderm species
K
ate Naughton
1
1
U
niversity of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia,
2
M
useum Victoria, Carlton,
V
ictoria, Australia
Abstract
Connectivity across the temperate coastal zones of Australia has been
p
rofoundly affected by the changes to sea level and currents caused by glacial
cycling. Comparative studies incorporating a number of species and multiple
molecular markers are an excellent method for understanding large scale
o
ceanographic processes. In this comparative phylogeographic study, we
c
ompared the past and present connectivity of a number of echinoderm species
a
t the population and species level, incorporating two sea star and five brittle
s
tar species. Few studies have been able to achieve the necessary resolution to
u
nderstand the consequences of glacial cycling across our entire southern
coastline due to problems of scale. The range of this study extends from
Fremantle in Western Australia to Coffs Harbour in New South Wales and
includes Tasmania, a distance in excess of seven thousand kilometres.
Mitochondrial sequence data and genotypes of independently developed nuclear
microsatellite loci have been analysed for each species. This study will
c
ontribute to our understanding of the dynamic shallow-water environments of
t
he southern coast of Australia. Our increased understanding will assist us in
interpreting the manner in which they may be affected by future changes in
climate and the corresponding alterations to coastal connectivity.
1
9/0325
D
ynamics of epibiont diversity on mobile Arctic and sub-Arctic hard substrate –
five years study
Piotr Balazy
, Piotr Kuklinski
I
nstitute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Department of Marine Ecology,
Sopot, Poland
Abstract
T
he study focuses on establishing knowledge about inter-annual variability of
e
pibiont diversity on mobile substrate among geographic regions as well as
developing monitoring tool of sublittoral ecosystems of the rapidly changing
e
nvironment - European Arctic. Shells of hermit crabs were used as a model
substrate. Samples were collected annually over five years. Additionally rocks
w
ere collected in order to establish local species pool. Settlement panels were
deployed to estimate annual recruitment composition. In total 27603 individuals
of epibionts representing 105 taxa were found to occur on the shells. There were
no clear differences in species composition and dominance structure of the
assemblages between investigated years at both sites. It resembled the
community on rocks. There were however significant differences with respect to
abundance, species richness, and diversity caused by fluctuations in annual
recruitment. This study (1) provides the first overview of species associated with
Arctic hermit crabs, shows that (2) invertebrate assemblages can be an
important indicator of environmental changes but only in terms of community
structure, indicates that (3) invertebrate assemblages on hermit crabs shells
may be relatively persistent to changes over observation period of five years, (4)
mobile epibiotic assemblages are highly dependent on the local species pool.
1
9/0339
R
arity, transience and insurance
Judi Hewitt
, Simon Thrush
National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, Hamilton, New Zealand
Abstract
R
are species are theoretically important in maintaining the stability of ecosystem
functioning, especially in changing environments. However, restricted
o
ccurrence or low local abundance is likely to make rare species vulnerable to
d
isturbance and habitat degradation. Moreover, rare species are often habitat-
specific and, while this relationship can drive the positive relationship between
h
abitat diversity and species richness, it implies rare species tend to have
narrow niches. Temporal dynamics in community composition are also likely
i
nfluence the ability of rare species to represent functional insurance against
changes. Here we analyse benthic macrofauna data to determine whether
species that are spatially rare at the site scale generally (a) demonstrate
increases in abundance and occurrence along 2 environmental gradients and (b)
are transients (i.e. temporally rare). We find that number of rare species
decreases with stormwater contaminants and mud, but few of the rare species
exhibit increases along the gradients. We also find that rare species are
generally not transients; rather they are consistently present, with many even
becoming common at times. These two findings suggest that rare species are an
expression of their communities and, thus, are unlikely to generally represent
insurance against change.
19/0366
A biodiversity crisis on Levant coasts: collapse of ecologically important
benthic species
Gil Rilov
National Institute of Oceanography, Israel Oceanographic and Limnological
Research, Haifa, Israel
Abstract
Even with the current global biodiversity crisis, extinction of highly abundant
species is a rare phenomenon. This should be especially true for marine benthic
species of which most have relatively open populations connected by pelagic
larvae. Using past sporadic data and data from a current monitoring program I
show evidence for population collapses and possibly regional near-extinctions of
three ecologically important and once highly abundant benthic species: an
ecosystem engineer (vermetid gastropod), a predator (whelk) and herbivores
(sea urchins). Although the data has wide temporal gaps due to lack of proper
coastal monitoring until recently, these population crashes suggest that the
Levant basin is going through a major biodiversity change not only due to species
additions by bioinvasions but also due to species depletions. The ecological
implications of these species collapses could be significant. The vermetid, for
example, is responsible for the creation of horizontal intertidal reefs with unique
environmental conditions on them that might change considerably in the
vermetid absence, affecting a plethora of other intertidal species. The reasons
for the collapses are unknown but because the Levant represents the eastern
edge of these species distribution and conditions there are already extreme,
climate change cannot be ruled out.
19/0376
Long-term changes in coastal ecosystems of the White Sea
Dmitry Lajus
, Tatiana Ivanova, Elena Shatskikh, Mikhail Ivanov
St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russian Federation
Abstract
Last century considerable changes in coastal communities of the White Sea
occurred. Quantitative information on them is not abundant in spite of the fact
that they are very important for the entire ecosystem. Since 2005 we carry out
monitoring and analyse catch statistics and anecdotal data on seagrass Zostera
marina and three spine stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus – species which are
playing a key role in the White Sea coastal zone. Stickleback spawn and spend
the first weeks in seagrass beds. Both species show quite similar patterns in
fluctuations of abundance being comparatively abundant in the beginning of the
20
th
C. and reaching a maximum in the 1930s. Since that time their populations
gradually declined being on a lowest level in the 1960-70s. Recovery of seagrass
began in the 1970-80s, while stickleback population increased since late 1990s.
Monitoring showed that in the northern part of the White Sea during last decade
seagrass populations were quite stable, whereas stickleback increased their
abundance about 25-fold since 2006. Periods of high abundance of these species
in general coincide with warmer periods, thus possible reason for the changes is
climate. The research is supported by grants from Russian Foundation for Basic
Research (09-04-01357-a and 10-04-10066-k).
75
19/0379
I
ntegrating life-history traits and biodiversity patterns of coralligenous
c
ommunities in the NW Mediterranean Sea
N
uria Teixidó
1
,
Edgar Casas
2
,
Emma Cebrian
3
,
Garrabou Joaquim
2
,
Silvija
K
ipson
2
,
Jean-George Harmelin
4
,
Cristina Linares
1
1
E
cology Department, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain,
2
M
arine Sciences
I
nstitute (ICM-CSIC), Barcelona, Spain,
3
U
niversity of Girona, Girona, Spain,
4
C
entre
d
’Océanologie de Marseille, Marseille, France
Abstract
O
ur knowledge of the natural pattern of change in ecological communities is
incomplete and to address this, we need long-term studies to account for the
natural variation. Separating anthropogenic change from the underlying natural
c
hange is difficult due to our limited understanding of how species and
c
ommunities vary through time and the processes that are involved in this
v
ariability. This study integrates the analyses of life-history traits of different
s
tructural benthic species (sponges and anthozoans) with biodiversity patterns of
c
oralligenous communities of the NW Mediterranean Sea through time. These
communities are a hot spot of Mediterranean biodiversity. We analyzed a set of
photographic series monitored yearly over 25, 15 and 5 yr periods. The
demographic data revealed that the species showed low mortality, recruitment,
and growth rates. Low mortality combined with the slow growth indicated that
these species were long-lived and showed high persistence. These mature
c
ommunities also showed high persistence regarding species richness through
t
ime. Given the low dynamics and longevity of coralligenous communities and the
unprecedented scale of disturbance by global change, the persistence of these
communities is facing a serious threat.
19/0380
D
ecadal change on the abyssal plain - the macrofauna response to climatic
c
hanges
C
laire Laguionie-Marchais
1
,
Henry Ruhl
1
,
Gordon Paterson
2
,
David Billett
1
,
Sven
T
hatje
1
1
N
ational Oceanographic Centre of Southampton, Southampton, UK,
2
N
atural History
M
useum, London, UK
Abstract
In recent years links between processes at the sea surface and change in deep-
s
ea ecosystems have been observed. Thus, under temperate productive waters,
abyssal habitats (> 4000m) receive seasonal, pulsed inputs of fresh organic
matter, as well as inter-annual variation. Temporal studies were conducted at
t
wo abyssal stations in the Northeast Pacific (Station M) and the Northeast
A
tlantic (Porcupine Abyssal Plain) both in areas with marked seasonal primary
p
roductivity. Benthic communities responded to climatically-driven changes in
s
urface processes. Significant changes in abundance and composition of the
m
egafauna occurred. This presentation is focused on the macrofauna, as
exemplified by polychaete worms (the most abundant macrofaunal taxon) from
1989 to 2004. The objectives were to (1) investigate if global processes, such as El
Niño and the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) affect macrofauna dynamics in
similar way at both stations, (2) investigate if macrofaunal change is related to
megafaunal change at the two stations, (3) improve knowledge of the
r
elationship between changes in the relative abundance of species and
p
roductivity and (4) give an insight on consequences of community change on
ecosystem processes such as bioturbation (and hence changes in global carbon
cycling on the seafloor).
1
9/0462
C
urrent and future patterns of global marine mammal biodiversity
Kristin Kaschner
1
, Derek Tittensor
2
, Jonathon Ready
3
, Tim Gerrodette
4
, Boris
Worm
2
1
A
lbert-Ludwigs-University, Germany,
2
D
alhousie University, Canada,
3
F
ederal do
Pará, Brazil,
4
Protected Resources Division, Southwest Fisheries Science Center,
N
ational Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA,, La Jolla, California, USA
Abstract
Q
uantifying the spatial distribution of taxa is an important prerequisite for the
preservation of biodiversity, and can provide a baseline against which to measure
t
he impacts of climate change. Here we analyse patterns of species richness
based on predicted global distributional ranges for 115 marine mammal species.
W
e used an environmental suitability model specifically designed to address the
paucity of distributional data for many marine mammal species. We generated
richness patterns by overlaying predicted distributions for all species and
successfully validated model outputs against sightings data from three long-
term surveys (North Atlantic, Antarctic and Eastern Tropical Pacific). Predicted
species richness was highest in temperate waters of both hemispheres with
distinct hotspots around e.g. New Zealand, Japan, and the Galapagos Islands. We
then investigated potential changes in biodiversity by the year 2050 based on an
intermediate climate change scenario. Forward projections indicated that global
warming may have only moderate effects on the spatial patterns of marine
mammal richness with predicted increases in cetacean richness above 40°
latitude in both hemispheres, while decreases in both pinniped and cetacean
richness were expected at lower latitudes. Our results show how species
distribution models can be applied to explore broad patterns of marine
biodiversity worldwide.
1
9/0478
L
onger-term dynamics in deep-sea meiofauna assemblages in the Marginal Ice
Zone (eastern Fram Strait, HAUSGARTEN)
Katarzyna Grzelak
1
, Barbara Baldyga
2
, Lech Kotwicki
1
, Thomas Soltwedel
3
, Ingo
S
chewe
3
1
Institute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Sopot, Poland,
2
University of
Gdansk, Gdynia, Poland,
3
Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research,
Germany
A
bstract
Since recent discoveries revealing high biodiversity of deep-sea ecosystems, a big
c
hallenge is to understand how abundance, distribution and organism diversity of those
ecosystems change over time.
T
he big step towards understanding how deep-sea benthic communitites are functioning
was undertaken in 1999 by the Alfred-Wegener-Istitute, which established the long-term,
deep-sea observatory HAUSGARTEN. Since then multidisciplinary research takes place,
allows to detect environmental changes and to determine the factors controlling deep-sea
biodiversity in one of the most productive and dynamic system in the Arctic.
For this study bathymetric transect of nine stations (1000-5500m) have been sampled over
five years (2005-2009) in order to understand the response of the deep-sea meiofauna to
highly changeable environmental variables in the Marginal Ice Zone. We investigated the
abundance and composition of meiobenthos in relation to environmental conditions.
Results confirmed unquestionable dominance of nematodes at all sampling depths and
showed high inter-annual variations in meiofaunal abundance at continental shelf
stations. No consistent bathymetric pattern of meiofaunal densities was observed.
Conversely, significant differences in abundance and distribution of the rare meiofaunal
taxa were noted. Our 5-years-series data will be presented as continuation of previous 5-
years-series (2000-2004), finally resulting in the longest time-series ever done for
deep-sea meiofauna.
19/0515
Temporal variations in the zooplankton community in northern Skagerrak.
Tone Falkenhaug
1
, Lena Omli
1
1
Institute of Marine Research, His, Norway,
2
Institute of Marine Research, His,
Norway
Abstract
Zooplankton community composition and diversity at a coastal monitoring station
in northern Skagerrak has been analyzed for the period 1994-2010. The Arendal
sampling site is located at 58°23 N 8°49 E, approximately one nautical mile
offshore from the Flødevigen Research Station (Institute of Marine Research,
IMR) off southern Norway. Sampling for hydrographic parameters, phytoplankton
and zooplankton has been carried out fortnightly since January 1994. A total of
29 taxa or taxonomical groups were identified. The seasonal cycle of the total
zooplankton was characterized by two peaks. Calanus finmarchicus and C.
helgolandicus co-occur at this station but are seasonally separated through their
different temperature optima. The seasonal increase in temperature triggers a
shift from C. finmarchicus to C. helgolandcus in mid-summer. Long-term year-to-
year fluctuations for the most abundant species or groups of species were
examined. Pseudocalanus spp and Oithona spp showed significant decreasing
trends over time. The observed inter-annual and seasonal variations in the
zooplankton community are discussed in relation to advective processes and
hydroclimatic changes in the region.
19/0536
Phytal Nematode Diversity in Relation with Seasonal Cycle and Structural
Complexity of the Temperate Rocky Intertidal Seaweeds
Hong Zhou
, Zhinan Zhang
Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong Province, China
Abstract
Seaweed habitats provide food resources, refuges and residential space for many
benthic animal groups, among which nematodes were usually the most
dominant. The growth form and structural complexity of seaweeds change over
the seasonal cycle of growth and differ among different algal species, thus may
affect abundance, diversity, and community structure of the phytal nematode
assemblages. The abundance, diversity and community structure of phytal
nematode assemblages on the temperate rocky intertidal seaweed Sargassum
thunbergii in Qingdao, China were investigated monthly from Nov. 2007 till Oct.
2008 and compared among six algal species with different structural complexity.
The results suggested that there are clear seasonality in terms of nematode
abundance, species diversity and community succession following the seasonal
cycle of growth of Sargassum thunbergii. Algal species with higher structural
complexity significantly increase the abundance and diversity of nematodes and
affect the faunal structure. Water environmental parameters of temperature,
salinity, DO and pH and tidal level have less influence on the phytal nematodes
but the seasonal cycle and structural complexity of seaweed was the major
determinant of the faunal abundance, diversity and structure.
76
19/0578
C
oastal fish communities of the UK: the dynamics of diversity and community
c
omposition
J
. F. Silva
,
G. Burt, L. Readdy, D. Righton
Cefas, Lowestoft, UK
Abstract
C
oastal marine ecosystems are important nursery areas for commercial marine
f
ish, but also provide home to a large number of lesser known species. Since
1981, Cefas has surveyed the inshore fish community on the UK coast, from
F
lamborough Head in the north, to Selsey Bill to the south and west. Over the 30
year time-series, more than 100 species have been documented as forming the
inshore fish community, comprising Lusitanean, Boreal and Atlantic species.
C
ommunity diversity is greatest in the English Channel, where the majority of
L
usitanean species are found, and lowest along the north east coast, where more
B
oreal species are found. Community composition has changed over the last 30
y
ears: Lusitanean species are now more common, and are found further north,
w
hile Boreal species have declined and are now not found as far south as
previously. Multivariate analysis shows that changes in community composition
correlate with increases in sea temperature, although factors like fishing activity
have an impact on the abundance of some species. Overall, our analysis
suggests that the fish fauna of the UK coast is diverse and complex, and
vulnerable to local and wider-scale environmental impacts.
19/0630
M
eiofauna biodiversity and abundance patterns in relation to environmental
f
actors in the northern Gulf of Mexico: a multiyear study.
F
rank Romano
1
,
Stephen Landers
2
,
Walter Ingram
3
1
Jacksonville State University, Jacksonville, Alabama, USA,
2
Troy University, Troy,
A
labama, USA,
3
N
OAA-National Marine Fisheries Service, Pascagoula, Mississippi,
U
SA
Abstract
A multiyear study of the benthos from the northern Gulf of Mexico benthos is
c
urrently underway. A total of 209,220 organisms were enumerated, from the
2007-2009 samples, of which 81.88% were foraminifera and radiolarians, 87.3%
of the meiofauna (23,126) were nematodes and 8.6% (2,159) were
h
arpactocopepods. Other meiofauna were much less abundant (eg.
t
ardigrades=27 and kinorhynchs=76). Correlation analysis between the
a
bundance of organisms and between the total abundance of organisms and
a
biotic factors was performed for sample years 2007-2009 (n=226). Correlations
o
f abundances of specific taxa were highly significant (p<0.000001); such as
foraminifera and radiolarians (r=0.61), kinorhynchs and tardigrades (r=0.40), and
nematodes and polychaetes (r=0.42) suggesting that habitat is the control behind
these correlations. Signficant correlations (p<0.05) between the total abundance
of taxa and abiotic factors (environmental-depth, temperature, [oxygen]; spatial-
longitude, latitude) were found. Total taxa abundance was correlated (r=-0.15)
w
ith latitude, with longitude (r=-0.25), and with temperature (r=-0.17) suggesting
t
hat spatial location is correlated with organismal abundance, i.e, abundance
increases to the south, the east, and with slightly colder water. It is interesting to
note that total abundances were not correlated with depth. Samples from 2010
have been collected and the results will be added to our analyses.
1
9/0636
T
emporal changes, during a fifteen-year period (1989-2004), in the deep sea
metazoan meiofaunal Nematode and Copepod assemblages at the Porcupine
A
byssal Plain, NE Atlantic.
V
asiliki Kalogeropoulou
1
,
David Billett
2
,
Andrew Gooday
3
,
et al.
1
Hellenic Centre of Marine Research,Greece,
2
Southampton Oceanography Centre,
U
K,
3
S
outhampton Oceanography Centre, UK,et al.
Abstract
T
rends among major meiofaunal taxa were investigated over a fifteen-year
period at a site on the Porcupine Abyssal Plain (48° 50’ N, 16° 30’ W, 4850 m
d
epth). This site is well known for strong seasonality of the organic matter and
the massive density increases since 1996 of an holothurian species, the so-called
‘
Amperima event’. Meiofaunal densities ranged from 884 to 3362 ind*25.5 cm-2
and showed a significant increase with time. This pattern was driven mainly by
the dominant nematodes and polychaetes, compared to the ostracods which
decreased in abundance through the time series. Most other taxa, including the
copepods, did not show significant changes in abundance. Ordination of taxon
composition showed a shift from the pre-Amperima to the Amperima periods.
Harpacticoid copepods’ community structure constitutes of 226 species and
Nematodes were found to be represented by 274 species. A community shift
through time was observed in both groups species composition. However, they
seem to respond differently in terms of species richness, and diversity. All these
changes are linked to fluctuations in the availability of food which influences the
smaller fauna rapidly. However, that reflection is not so intensively observed in
the metazoan meiofaunal assemblages, compared to other benthic components.
1
9/0653
B
iodiversity as a dynamic variable
Nicholas Record
1
, Andrew Pershing
1
1
University of Maine, Orono, ME, USA,
2
Gulf of Maine Research Institute, Portland,
M
E, USA
Abstract
The bulk of biodiversity research has taken place in terrestrial and benthic
s
ystems where organisms are mostly sessile, or tied to sessile resources. The
c
omparatively slow dynamics of these systems has had a formative influence on
the theories and methodologies of biodiversity research. Pelagic and coastal
s
ystems, in contrast, are dynamic at much smaller time scales, are well mixed
on much larger spatial scales, and are relatively dilute. Biodiversity can change
a
t diel, seasonal, and inter-decadal timescales. Moreover, in temporal pelagic
systems, annual disturbance often prevents the system from approaching any
kind of equilibrium community. As a consequence, many of the methodologies
and theories of biodiversity research do not carry over well to pelagic
environments. For example, rarefaction is often not possible when subsequent
samples, sometimes separated by only a few hours, represent new communities.
We reevaluated some of the standard biodiversity hypotheses, such as energy-
richness and the mid-domain effect, as they apply in the northwest Atlantic
pelagic and coastal zooplankton. We show that the outcome of tests of these
hypotheses is highly dependent on temporal scale, and that less rigid biodiversity
indices can resolve some of the problems and help express biodiversity as a
dynamic variable.
19/0708
Spatio-temporal persistence (1986-2011) of an Abra alba-Pectinaria koreni
muddy fine sand community in a high perturbed environment: the case of the
eastern part of the bay of Seine (English Channel)
Alizier Sandrine
1
, Dauvin Jean-Claude
2
, Desroy Nicolas
3
, Lesourd Sandric
1
,
Lesueur Patrick
2
, Thiébaut Eric
4
1
LOG, France,
2
M2C, France,
3
CRESCO, France,
4
SBR, France
Abstract
The bay of Seine is impacted by a lot of pollution coming from the Seine : heavy
metals, PAHs, PCBs, pesticides and nutrients. Nevertheless, the subtidal muddy
fine sand Abra alba-Pectinaria koreni community is among the richest in terms of
species and abundance in the north-eastern Atlantic. Several benthic surveys
conducted over three decades (1986-2011) at first in February-March (before
recruitment period) and after in September-October (after recruitment period)
permitted to define a spatio-temporal cartography of the macrofauna. Three
main points aroudes: (1) a great contrast between zones with high abundance (>
20 000 ind. m
2
), and areas with low abundance (< 100 ind. m²); (2) the long-term
persistance of the high values of diversity and abundance with a dominance by a
small number of species, among them the polychaetes Owenia fusiformis and
Pectinaria koreni, the bivalves Abra alba and Phaxas pellucidus and the
echinoderms Ophiura ophiura and Acrocnida brachiata; (3) the response of
benthic assemblages to fine particles enrichment in some parts of this subtidal
zone: colonisation by the polychaete Melinna palmata and other muddy species.
The available data are discussed in term of sensibility and tolerance of benthic
species with the fine particle content of sediments.
19/0742
Southward bound: phylogenomics of the Atlantic brown algal family Fucaceae
Fernando Canovas
, Catarina Mota, Ester Serrão, Gareth Pearson
Centro de Ciências do Mar, Gambelas, Faro, Portugal
Abstract
Members of the brown algal family Fucaceae are important ecosystem-
structuring components of cold to temperate intertidal communities in the
northern hemisphere. Family members occur in the North Pacific and North
Atlantic Oceans, with a probable origin in the Southern Pacific. Analysis of
multiple protein coding sequences resulted in a strongly supported Fucaceae
phylogeny, and a relaxed clock analysis allowed the dating of splitting events.
Diversification of the family was placed in the Miocene. The current northern
distribution might have resulted from an ancient separation, following a
transequatorial crossing during a cooler period. The subsequent radiation in the
northern Hemisphere is particularly evident in the genus Fucus. This extensive
radiation is associated with habitat-specificity, variation in reproductive mode,
and was shaped by range shifts induced by glacial cycles, with secondary
contact. Despite an early origin of the genus, most extant Fucus species evolved
within a relatively short time frame of about three million years from the
Pleistocene. Climatic factors may have promoted the differentiation of the two
major clades, followed by a rapid radiation towards the southern distributional
range. Physiological tolerance to environmental stress coincided with rapid
divergence events, particularly intense in warmer and/or confined waters.
77
19/0782
U
sing relatedness to redraw iconic marine biodiversity patterns in space and
t
ime.
P
aul J. Somerfield
Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Plymouth, UK
Abstract
B
iodiversity is a nebulous concept, and it is widely recognised that it means far
m
ore than simply the number and identity of species. One approach for defining
and examining changes in biodiversity is to focus on inter-relationships among
t
axa. For example, an assemblage with ten species all belonging to one family
might be considered less ‘biodiverse’ than another assemblage with ten species
each belonging to a different phylum. One measure designed to capture such
d
ifferences is average taxonomic distinctness. This measure may be calculated
f
rom presence/absence data and has a number of useful statistical properties,
p
articularly its independence from sampling effort and that under certain null-
h
ypothesis conditions expected values of the measure may be calculated a priori
f
rom species lists. Taxonomic distinctness is used to provide an alternative view
of two iconic patterns in marine biodiversity. Firstly, using sharks as an example,
latitudinal gradients in diversity are redrawn and reinterpreted. Secondly, the
iconic phanerozoic diversity curve, which represents the totality of marine
diversity through deep time, is redrawn to provide an alternative view of the
relationship between ecology and evolution, and the nature, extent, and long-
t
erm importance of mass-extinction events.
19/0796
M
onitoring Nesting seabirds Using Computer Vision
Chunmei Qing
1
, Patrick Dickinson
1
, Shaun Lawson
1
, Robin Freeman
1
1
U
niversity of Lincoln, Lincoln, UK,
2
M
icrosoft Research, Cambridge, UK
Abstract
W
e report on development of a novel computer-vision system for autonomously
m
onitoring nesting seabirds. This work has been conducted at the University of
L
incoln (UK), in collaboration with the Centre for Computational Ecology and
Environmental Science (CEES) at Microsoft Research Cambridge (under EPSRC
g
rant reference H017143). Our work has been ongoing for around 12 months, and
focussed on robust image processing techniques capable of detecting and
localising individual birds in image and video data collected at a cliff nesting site.
I
n our case, we are using data captured from a population of Common Guillemots
(
Uria aalge) resident on Skomer Island (UK) during the summer of 2010.
This work represents a unique adaptation of computer vision technology, and we
p
resent a discussion of current and future technical challenges, processing
t
echniques which we have developed, and some preliminary evaluation and
r
esults. In particular, we present image techniques based on background
s
ubtraction and modelling, and also feature based detection of complete birds,
and body sections (such as heads). We also present a discussion of future
research directions and wider application of these techniques to other species
and environments.
1
9/0857
T
he arrival of the non-native colonial ascidian Didemnum vexillum in Scotland:
lessons for the feasiblity of a rapid response in the marine environment
Fiona Manson
1
, David Donnan
1
, Ellen Burt
2
1
S
cottish Natural Heritage, Scotland, UK,
2
M
arine Scotland, Scotland, UK
Abstract
Scotland has some of the UK’s most distinctive marine communities. These
c
ommunities face a significant threat from the growing problem of invasive non-
n
ative species.
T
his paper provides an overview of the marine non-native species present in
Scotland and those species that may arrive in the near future. The invasive
c
arpet sea squirt, Didemnum vexillum, is a recent arrival which poses a risk to
native biodiversity and to the aquaculture industry. Originally from the Pacific,
t
his species has established in North America, New Zealand and Europe,
showing typical characteristics of invasive species: fast growth rates, high
densities and rapid colonisation.
A rapid response to the arrival of new invasive species is considered one of the
key actions for limiting impacts. However, there are considerable practical,
ecological and logistical issues that may affect its success. The arrival of
Didemnum vexillum was an opportunity for assessing rapid response measures.
We consider the feasibility and practicalities of eradication and describe how
pathway management can be used to limit further spread. We report on the
effectiveness of the response to D. vexillum in Scotland so far and highlight how
we can use this experience to prepare for any future unwanted arrivals.
1
9/0917
C
etacean Species Diversity and Conservation in the Central Southern
Mediterranean around the Maltese Islands: review of 14 years of marine and
a
erial research
A
driana Vella
University of Malta, Msida, Malta
Abstract
A
research area of about 120,000Km
2
a
round the Maltese Islands has been the
s
ubject of year-round cetacean research since 1997. Various species have been
studied including Bottlenose (Tursiops truncatus), Striped (Stenella coeruleoalba),
C
ommon (Delphinus delphis) and Risso’s dolphins (Grampus griseus), Sperm
(Physeter macrocephalus) and Fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus). This research
w
ork has also been complemented by taking record of strandings around the
Islands and consideration of fishing and human activities which take place in
areas where cetaceans are found.
Field transect survey techniques include both boat and plane surveys which
allowed for various aspects of cetacean distribution, abundance and activities to
be studied year round. This research project is a long-term effort which has been
designed to allow for improved knowledge of cetaceans in this region, to expand
and allow for better comparisons with works undertaken in the same period else
where in the Mediterranean.
This part of the Mediterranean is increasingly suffering from human activities,
unsustainable development and exploitation of marine resources with impacts on
cetaceans: Decreasing prey species in these waters; sound, chemical and waste
pollution; increasing traffic of larger vessels, military surveillance, and tankers;
intense fishing activities both close to coast but increasingly so in pelagic waters.
19/0936
Yellowfin Tuna as a Predictor of Ecosystem State in the Eastern Tropical Pacific
Summer L. Martin
1
, Lisa T. Ballance
2
1
Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, USA,
2
Southwest
Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration, USA
Abstract
Biodiversity is believed to be positively correlated with ecosystem resilience.
Because biodiversity data can be challenging to collect, biodiversity indicators
are valuable predictors of ecosystem state. This is particularly true for oceanic
ecosystems. We explore the potential for using yellowfin tuna (Thunnus
albacares) as an indicator of biodiversity by linking ecological characteristics of
tuna (e.g. distribution and abundance) to diversity indices calculated from an
existing dataset. These data were collected from NOAA Fisheries ships at sea
during 10 years over a 19-year time span (1988-2006) in the oceanic eastern
tropical Pacific, an area of 21 million km
2
that includes waters of 12 nations and
the oceanic commons. We characterize diversity of cetaceans, seabirds, larval
fishes, and flyingfishes and relate these to yellowfin tuna metrics. Our results
have implications for ecosystem-based management of oceanic systems. These
ecosystems present a complex set of management challenges. The living marine
resources they include are often transboundary; enforcement of international
agreements is difficult; and the ecosystem goods and services they provide are
global. Yellowfin tuna is a commercially important species and tuna information
is widely available through fisheries datasets, providing the potential to predict
ecosystem state for this system into the future.
19/0968
Responses of waterbird populations to broad scale regime shifts in the Baltic Sea
Henrik Skov
, Ramunas Žydelis, Stefan Heinänen
DHI, Hoersholm, Denmark
Abstract
Over the past three decades, the Baltic Sea has undergone large-scale
ecosystem changes as a result of climate change, eutrophication and
overfishing. The response of wintering waterbird populations to these changes
was analysed using a 23-year time series on waterbirds, climatic, physical
oceanographic and biological conditions. The results show widespread
distribution changes linked to climate change, and significant reductions in the
total populations of several species linked primarily to climatic changes and
eutrophication. Major northward shifts were seen in 11 waterbird species,
moderate shifts in three other species and no obvious shifts in five species.
Although the species showing a marked shift in their distribution towards the
north display a wide range of ecotypes, species with a diet of benthic
invertebrates dominate. The same species have also experienced large-scale
declines in total abundance of populations wintering in the Baltic Sea. We show
that the declines are regional, and that significant reductions in nutrient loads
from coastal areas likely play an important role in the southern parts. Our study
indicates that long-term climate-induced changes in the distribution of benthic
predators may be accentuated by regional changes in benthic productivity
induced by efforts to combat eutrophication.
78
19/0977
Z
ooplankton community composition changes in the Baltic Sea
Larisa Litvinchuk
Z
oological Institute RAS, St. Petersburg, Russian Federation
Abstract
I
n the Baltic Sea during the research period (using long term published and field
w
ork data), changes in biodiversity and trophic structure of zooplankton
c
ommunity were examined. In the most productive upper water layers cold-
water and stenohaline species had decreased. The percentage of eurythermic
a
nd euryhaline species had increased. Atlantic and Ponto-Asov-Caspian species
of zooplankton and meroplanktonic larvae of bentic organisms invaded and
become a part of dominant zooplankton complex. Changes in trophic structure of
z
ooplankton community were detected. Before the 1960s the base of zooplankton
c
onsisted of phytophagous-filtrators and algo- and zoophagous with food
c
omponents spectrum 2-160 and 3-700 m (bacteria, algae, small rotifers and
C
opepoda nauplia). Since 1970s in the Baltic plankton become dominant micro-
a
nd macrofiltrators feeding on trypton detritus, bacteria, protozoan and
phytoplankton (with food particles size preferendum from 0.3 to 40 m, for
microfiltrators preferably particles size are less than 1 m). In shalow and
brackish-water parts of the Baltic Sea the role of predaceous cladocerans had
increased. Probably the zooplankton community of the Baltic Sea shifts respond
to climate change.
19/1023
E
nhanced East Atlantic summer warming over the last six centuries and the
r
esponse of marine zooplankton
N
icholas Kamenos
University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
Abstract
M
odelling and measurements have shown that Atlantic marine temperatures are
r
ising. However, low resolution of those records 1) masks regional details critical
for determining the rate and extent of climate oscillations and 2) prevents robust
d
etermination of climatic impacts on marine ecosystems and their biodiversity.
To address both issues, a fortnightly resolution marine climate record from 1353-
2006 was constructed for North East Atlantic shallow inshore waters and
c
ompared to changes in marine zooplankton abundance. Since 1353, summer
m
arine temperatures increased more than winter temperatures. Rising
t
emperatures were characterized by a ~5-65 year temperature oscillations which
b
egan in 1700 indicating that such oscillations in climate may only be a recent
b
ut widespread phenomenon. Critically, enhanced summer warming led to a fall
in abundance of the copepod Calanus finmarchicus, a major food item for cod. The
abundance of C. finmarchicus is projected to be significantly lower in 2040 than at
present. Enhanced summer warming appears to affect productivity near the base
of the marine food web with potentially significant knock-on effects for marine
biodiversity during the next few decades.
1
9/1077
W
hales, dolphins and “other fishes” in the Southeast Atlantic: Data
combination to analyze historical cetaceans’ biodiversity in the Gulf of Guinea
Cristina Brito
C
entro de História de Além-Mar, FCSH - UNL, Lisbon, Portugal
Abstract
Portuguese reports of Atlantic journeys contain information about natural
e
lements and marine megafauna. These descriptions are based on empirical
k
nowledge accumulated in successive maritime routes and indicate species or
animal groups’ occurrence. Navigators recorded the presence of typical animals
t
o estimate their localization and whatever seemed new and intriguing. So, in
addition to fish and birds, there are other unusual reports to strange marine
a
nimals most of them unknown to Europe. In these descriptions for the
Southeastern Atlantic Ocean we found 14 detailed accounts of cetaceans,
between the 15
th
and 17
th
centuries, and identify oceanic dolphins, porpoises,
killer whales and baleen whales. Much more recently we also found whaling
accounts as well as dolphin captures for some regions in the Gulf of Guinea. For
instance, references to the capture of toninhas are part of the 20
th
century fishing
statistics of Angola. Fishing books where consulted and, between 1940 and 1969,
an estimation of between 320 and 650 individuals was obtained. This is a relevant
contribution to the knowledge on cetaceans’ historical occurrence and
biodiversity in the Gulf of Guinea, but more importantly gives a good perspective
of the importance of data combination to assess long term marine biodiversity
information.
2
0/0066
I
mplications of regional biodiversity loss on carbon in shelf sea sediments
Ruth Parker
1
, Finlay Scott
1
, Nicholas Dulvy
2
, Steve Mackinson
1
, David Stephens
1
,
Jasmin Godbold
3
, Martin Solan
3
1
C
entre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, Lowestoft, Suffolk, UK,
2
Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC,, Canada,
3
Oceanlab, University of Aberdeen,
A
berdeen, UK
Abstract
H
ow does the biodiversity - ecosystem function relationship vary spatially across
large heterogeneous ecosystems? Using a combination of observational data
a
nalysis combined with a modelling approach our findings show that decreasing
species richness respectively increases and decreases sediment storage of
r
efractory organic carbon and incorporation of phytodetrital chlorophyll.
Together this highlights impairment of the seabed function to process and
recycle production in shelf seas with biodiversity loss.
The rates and way in which these functions are altered varies in different regions
of the North Sea as a result of the assemblages present at each site and degree
of functional redundancy. Species which have a disproportionate contribution to
maintaining function regionally and on a site by site basis are identified as are
the implications of species dominance in relation to the maintenance of
sediment function.
Our findings have consequences for conservation of ecosystem function by
focusing on keystone species and spatial distribution of assemblage redundancy.
Changing carbon storage and turnover pathways related to species loss can lead
to increased storage of carbon fractions regionally within the North Sea. These
findings have clear implications for marine spatial planning, application of MPAs
and zoning of human use in the seas.
20/0076
Global patterns of local diversity: Are there common rules for benthos?
Andrey Azovsky
1
, Elena Chertoprud
1
, Lesya Garlitska
2
, Yuri Mazei
3
, Alexey Udalov
4
1
Moscow State University, Russian Federation,
2
Odesa Branch Institute of Biology of
Southern Seas, Ukraine,
3
Penza State Pedagogical University, Russian Federation,
4
P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology RAS, Russian Federation
Abstract
Large-scale biodiversity patterns and environmental predictors have received
much attention in ecology. In particular, latitudinal diversity gradients (LDG) are
believed to be general rule. However, the mechanisms underlying these patterns
still remain insufficiently explored. To date, major focus has been on: i)
terrestrial rather than marine systems; ii) coarse-grained (gamma, epsilon)
rather than fine-scale (alpha- & beta) diversity components; iii) large-sized
rather than small-sized organisms.
For the first time, we compare alpha- and beta-diversity patterns for marine
benthic macrofauna, meiofauna (harpacticoids) and microfauna (ciliates) all over
the world. Alpha- and beta-components of diversity are driven by different sets of
predictors, as well as the same component for different groups. Beta-diversity
for every group demonstrates significant LDGs decreasing poleward. On the
contrary, alpha-diversity decreases poleward for macrofauna, increases for
ciliates and shows no latitudinal trends for meiofauna. Furthermore, there is no
correlation between alpha- and beta-diversity values for macro- and meiofauna.
The interplay between these components result in clearly defined LDG of
gamma-diversity for macrofauna, slightly defined and non-linear trends for
meiofauna, and absence of gradients for microfauna.
There is no “universal” geographic pattern for every group, but comparative
studies can offer insights into how the diversity operates.
20/0137
Marine species richness and ecosystem functioning – a meta-analysis
Lars Gamfeldt
1
, J. Emmett Duffy
2
, Jonathan Lefcheck
2
, Mary O’Connor
3
, Jarrett
Byrnes
4
, Kristin Matulich
5
, Bradley Cardinale
6
1
University of Gothenburg, Sweden,
2
Virginia institute of marine science, USA,
3
University of British Columbia, Canada,
4
National Center for Ecological Analysis and
Synthesis, USA,
5
University of California Irvine, California, USA,
6
University of
Michigan, USA
Abstract
The last two decades have seen an exponential increase in the number of studies
examining how biodiversity controls ecosystem functioning. Such studies are
important because biodiversity loss is considered one of the most dramatic
environmental changes in the modern era, with potential impacts on the goods
and services provided by ecosystems. The field of biodiversity and ecosystem
functioning has also proven valuable in complementing the historical focus on
evolutionary and ecological causes of biodiversity with an understanding of its
ecological consequences. Using quantitative meta-analyses, we review more
than a decade of marine studies that experimentally manipulated the species
richness of primary producers, herbivores, and/or predators, and measured the
consequent effects on either focal or adjacent trophic levels. We assess the
balance of evidence for some of the most fundamental questions regarding the
functional role of species in ecosystems, e.g. to what extent a mixture of species
is more productive and efficient compared to the average or most productive
single species. We then discuss gaps and limitations in the accumulated data,
and suggest fruitful future avenues for marine biodiversity-functioning research.
79
20/0164
M
arine Biodiversity characteristics
Gilles BOEUF
1
1
U
niversity Pierre & Marie Curie, Laboratoire Arago, Banyuls-sur-mer, France,
2
Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Paris, France
Abstract
O
ceans contain the largest living volume of the planet, inhabited by 235,000
s
pecies. They represent 13% of the described species on the Earth, but marine
biomass is huge. Marine phytoplankton represents half the production of organic
m
atter on Earth , bacteria > 10%. Life appeared in the oceans before 3.8 billion
years ago and several determining events took place that changed the course of
life, ranging from the development of cell nucleus to sexual reproduction going
t
hrough multi-cellular organisms and capture of organelles. Of the 31 animal
p
hyla, 12 are exclusively marine and have never left the ocean. An interesting
q
uestion is to try to understand why there are so few marine species versus land
s
pecies? This pattern of distribution seems recent in the course of Evolution.
F
rom an exclusively marine world, since the beginning until 440 million years
ago, land number of species increased a lot 110 million years ago. Specific
diversity and ancestral roles, in addition to organizational models and original
behaviors, have made marine organisms excellent reservoirs for identifying and
extracting molecules with pharmacological potential. They also make relevant
models for fundamental and applied research. Marine models have been the
s
ource of essential discoveries in life sciences.
20/0342
G
lobal diversity of Ascidiacea
Noa Shenkar
U
niversity of Washington, Seattle, USA
Abstract
T
he class Ascidiacea presents fundamental opportunities for research in the
f
ields of development, evolution, ecology, natural products and more. This review
p
rovides a comprehensive overview of the current knowledge regarding the
global biodiversity of the class Ascidiacea, focusing in their taxonomy, main
r
egions of biodiversity, and distribution patterns. Based on analysis of the
literature and the species registered in the online World Register of Marine
Species, we assembled a list of 2815 described species. The highest number of
s
pecies and families is found in the order Aplousobranchia. The Didemnidae and
S
tyelidae families have the highest number of species with more than 500 each.
S
ixty percent of described species are colonial. Species richness is highest in
t
ropical regions, where colonials predominate. In higher latitudes solitary
s
pecies gradually contribute more to the total species richness. We emphasize
the strong association between species richness and sampling efforts, and
discuss the risks of invasive species. Our inventory is certainly incomplete as the
ascidian fauna in many areas around the world is relatively poorly known, and
many new species continue to be discovered and described.
2
0/0394
B
iodiversity loss threatens ecosystem structure and resilience in the world’s
oceans.
Lyne Morissette
1
, Kevin McCann
2
, France Dufresne
3
1
I
nstitut des sciences de la mer, Université du Québec à Rimouski, Rimouski, QC,
Canada,
2
Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON,
C
anada,
3
D
épartement de Biologie, Université du Québec à Rimouski, Rimouski, QC,
Canada
A
bstract
Biodiversity has experienced a major decline all over the planet, and increasing
n
umbers of animal and plant species are at risk of extinction. The loss of top-
predators and the resulting trophic cascades are now well documented, and
n
umerous case-studies analyze these changes in different ecosystems. Less
known are the effects of these predatory losses, and how it can affect important
ecosystem function such as stability. We did a meta-analysis to quantify
cascading effects and their effects on stability over 100 marine ecosystem
models that employ real estimates of parameters and are validated for their
ecological reliability. We simulated the loss of the top-predator, and then
quantified the resilience with and without these top-predators. The models were
also used to quantify the cascading effects and compare the over different types
of ecosystems. We then synthesize the evidence for the importance of top-
predators in maintaining the structure and stabilizing functions of marine
ecosystems. The eradication of the top-predators in each foodweb have led to
trophic cascades that are different depending on the habitat. In each ecosystem
though, the simulated resilience significantly decreased when the top-predator
was eradicated, compared to initial simulations.
2
0/0397
T
he role of biodiversity in ecosystem functioning: Translating results from
model experiments into functional reality
J. Emmett Duffy
1
, Bradley Cardinale
2
, David U. Hooper
3
, Carol Adair
4
, Patricia
B
alvanera
5
,
Jarrett Byrnes
4
,
Lars Gamfeldt
6
,
Andrew Gonzalez
7
,
Jonathan
Lefcheck
1
, et al.
1
V
irginia Institute of Marine Science, USA,
2
U
niversity of Michigan, USA,
3
W
estern
Washington University, USA,
4
NCEAS, USA,
5
UNAM, Mexico,
6
Gothenburg University,
S
weden,
7
M
cGill University, Canada, et al.
Abstract
N
early two decades of experimental research confirms that biodiversity loss can
have substantial impacts on functioning of ecosystems and the services they
p
rovide to humanity. But the results of these often highly simplistic experiments
have yet to be translated into meaningful predictions about how biodiversity loss
will impact functioning in realistic systems at appropriate scales. Here we
summarize ongoing synthetic work at the frontier between academic and applied
ecology that addresses four goals: (1) Develop quantitative scaling relationships
that convert the results of small-scale, short-term experiments into predictions
about the fraction of species required to optimize biological processes in natural
ecosystems; (2) Characterize how biodiversity simultaneously impacts suites of
ecosystem processes to identify trade-offs and potential synergisms, and to
provide guidance on optimizing the “multi-functionality” of diverse systems; (3)
estimate the relative importance of altered biodiversity versus other forms of
environmental change for ecosystem function; and (4) Evaluate how biodiversity
impacts on key ecological processes such as biomass production can be
translated into ecosystem “services” (i.e. CO
2
uptake and storage) that can be
used to aid decisions in conservation and management.
20/0411
Biodiversity pattern interrelations in ecosystem components: a synthesis from
the databases assembled during the MarBEF NoE.
Christos A
1
, Faulwetter S
1
, Appeltans W
2
, Vasileiadou A
1
, Chatzigeorgiou G
1
,
Markantonatou V
1
, Vandepitte L
2
, Vanden Berghe E
3
, 74 MarBEF Data
Contributors .
4
1
Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Greece,
2
VLIZ, Oostende, Belgium,
3
OBIS, USA,
Abstract
The study compares biodiversity patterns of the main ecosystem components’
(phyto-, zooplankton, meiofauna, marcrofauna and macroflora) species
distributions over the Longhurst’s biogeographic provinces, based on the
databases assembled in the course of the MarBEF NoE. The approach follows
two fundamental criteria: (a) proximity, referring to the expected closer faunal
resemblance of adjacent provinces in relation to that of the most distant ones,
and (b) randomness, as a measure of the degree to which inventories of the
provinces are random samples of the European ones. All of the inventories can
be considered as random samples of the European ones with the exception of the
phytoplankton. Interrelations of the multivariate patterns between the ecosystem
components show the substrate at which they live in to play a major role in
differentiating between the soft and hard substrate components while the
planktonic ones join either of the two groups. However, these trends come from
components which differ in many aspects of their origin and life cycle and the
corresponding datasets differ in the degree they represent each of the provinces.
Therefore, the results of this study can only serve as a basis for future
comparisons as new data and information accumulate.
20/0500
Species poor versus species rich benthic assemblages – which one is more
connected ?
Jan Marcin Weslawski
1
, Maria Wlodarska- Kowalczuk
1
, Monika Kedra
1
, Jan
Warzocha
2
, Marta Gluchowska
1
1
Institute of Oceanology PAS, Sopot, Poland,
2
Sea Fisheries Institute, Gdynia, Poland
Abstract
Baltic soft sediment macrofauna fauna (below 30 species) from 50-70m depth
was compared to the similar assemblage from Arctic (Spitsbergen fjord,
Hornsund) that counts over 200 species.
The biology and ecology of most species were studied in some detail, that
enabled to place them in the food web (modeled with ECOPATH), habitat and
spatio- temporal distribution.
The complicated biological interactions were defined in species-rich site, while
species poor site was mainly physically controlled, and thus this biocenose was
quite resilient to individual species loss.
Possibility of functional effects of biodiversity loss was higher in species rich site.
The problem of young, estuarine systems resilience for the stress is discussed in
the context of nature conservation and climate change effects.
80
20/0611
E
cosystem functioning is predicted more effectively by numbers of functional
g
roups than by numbers of species of intertidal primary producers
T
asman Crowe
,
David Balata, Claire Golléty
University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
Abstract
R
elationships between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning (BEF) are often
u
nderpinned by variation in the identity and functional traits of species rather
than species diversity per se. Some theories contend that loss of some species
m
ay not affect ecosystem functioning if others remain to fulfil their functional
roles. Loss of functional groups which share traits and functional roles should
therefore have greater impact than loss of species. Few experiments have yet
b
een done, however, which directly compare the effects of losing entire
f
unctional groups with losing equivalent numbers of species from different
f
unctional groups. In a field based experiment in intertidal rock pools, we
m
anipulated the number and identity of both functional groups and species of
p
rimary producers within the same design. We found that ecosystem functioning
was more effectively predicted by numbers of functional groups than by numbers
of species. Productivity and respiration were greater with larger numbers of
functional groups, regardless of their identity. A second experiment showed that
productivity increased with functional richness regardless of identity, although
results varied with different functional measures. Functional classification of
b
iodiversity may prove to be advantageous in developing a predictive framework
f
or BEF relationships.
20/0629
B
ody size as a predictor of biodiversity effects on ecosystem functioning
Annie Séguin
, Dominique Gravel, Philippe Archambault, Éric Harvey
U
niversité du Québec à Rimouski, Rimouski, Québec, Canada
Abstract
M
arine ecosystems undergo significant biodiversity loss and substantial efforts
a
re invested to determine their potential consequences on ecosystem
f
unctioning. Biological traits are increasingly pointed out as potential indicators
of ecosystem functioning. Given its relation with several ecological properties,
b
ody size is one of the biological traits that need more investigation. In
agreement with CHONe research axes, the aim of this study was to test the
importance of body size on the functioning of marine food webs. The experiment
w
as conducted over a 6 weeks period, with a complex food web involving 9
b
enthic species, representative of the lower intertidal. Each species belonged to
a
different body size class. Overall, 32 combinations were recreated, in 96
m
esocosms, among which 0, 1, 3, 6 or 9 species were removed. The impact of
s
pecies removal was tested on primary and secondary production. Results
suggest that body size should be considered as a proxy to anticipate the impact
of biodiversity loss on the functioning of marine ecosystems. Non-random
extinction sequences with respect to this trait differ from random sequences. A
better understanding of basic biological indicator will improve our prediction for
complex and poorly studied ecosystems, improving conservation efforts.
2
0/0773
T
he Effect of Resource Limitation and Diversity in Stoichiometric Interactions
Christoph Plum
, Helmut Hillebrand
University of Oldenburg ICBM, Wilhelmshaven, Germany
Abstract
A
central focus of ecological stoichiometry is the mismatch between the
consumer’s demand for essential nutrients and the availability of these nutrients
i
n their prey. Nevertheless, it remains unclear whether consumer or producer
d
iversity influences the effects of material imbalances in trophic interactions. We
conducted two laboratory experiments to test the hypothesis that the number of
s
pecies in a trophic group alters the nutrient dynamics in a pelagic community.
We investigated the effect of producer and consumer diversity under different
l
ight and nitrogen supply on the stoichiometry of the interaction between marine
phyto- and zooplankton species. According to our expectations, decreased light
intensity and nitrogen supply led to lower phytoplankton biomass and abundance
compared to non-limited cultures. Consumer grazing rates were higher with -N
high light food, inidacting compensation for poor food quality. Compared to single
species, consumer biomass increased significantly when feeding on mixed algae
cultures under light and nitrogen limitation. Producer diversity significantly
increased algal and herbivore biomass while altering algal C:N ratios and
herbivore grazing rate. Consumer diversity decreased algal and herbivore C:N
ratios and altered consumer and producer biomass. Our results indicate that
stoichiometric constraints of trophic interactions are mediated by producer and
consumer diversity.
2
0/0820
H
abitat heterogeneity shapes benthic biodiversity and ecosystem functioning
relationships along continental margins
Roberto Danovaro, Antonio Dell’Anno, Cristina Gambi, Antonio Pusceddu
U
niversità Politecnica delle Marche, Dipartimento di Scienze del Mare, Ancona, Italy
Abstract
Recent studies have argued that biodiversity regulates the ecosystem functions
t
hat are responsible for the production of natural goods and services. It has been
r
ecently demonstrated that in deep-sea sediments the relationships between
biodiversity and ecosystem functioning are positive and exponential, and can be
i
nfluenced by several environmental covariates. The existence of a consistently
exponential relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning (BEF) in
m
any deep-sea systems implies that even modest reductions in biodiversity
might have very severe impacts on these ecosystems. Continental margins are
characterized by an ample spatial variability at both large (i.e., among margins),
meso- (e.g. among stable and unstable open slopes and canyons) and small-
spatial scales (within each habitat), but the role of habitat heterogeneity as a
potential driver of the shape and strength of such relationships is unexplored yet.
Using a large data set collected along European continental margins, we show
that the slope of BEF relationships changes among different deep-sea systems
at varying spatial scales and that the steepness of the relationships vary with
levels of biodiversity and complexity of the benthic topography. These results
allow fostering the use of BEF relationships for discriminating deep-sea habitats
most vulnerable to biodiversity loss.
20/1154
Does evenness in benthic assemblages affect community stability?
Julie Lemieux
, Mathieu Cusson
Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, Chicoutimi, Québec, Canada
Abstract
Biodiversity loss and its consequence on ecosystem functioning has motivated
numerous studies. Much of research has focused on the effects of biodiversity
change but investigation on the effect of evenness on community properties
remains infrequent. We hypothesized that in intertidal benthic communities a
greater evenness promotes greater temporal stability (measured as community
dissimilarity) but decreases stability in community properties (variances of total
species abundance). We present here field observations from two intertidal rocky
shores (St. Lawrence estuary, eastern Canada), where mature community plots
(n = 40) of varying evenness, but with the same dominant species, were
repeatedly sampled in 2010. As opposed to our hypotheses, both dissimilarity in
community structure and variation in total abundance were not linked with
evenness. At a regional scale, however, when all sites were merged, a positive
relationship between variance in total abundance and evenness while a negative
relationship between dissimilarity in composition (absence-presence) and
evenness were observed. Furthermore, high evenness promoted stronger links
between richness and variances of total abundance, as predicted by theoretical
models. Because species abundance structure will likely be the first to be
affected by disturbance, the outcome of this study illustrates that evenness
should be considered when examining diversity-stability hypotheses.
21/0262
Multiple anthropogenic stressors and the diversity, structure and stability of
food webs
Eoin O’Gorman
, Tasman Crowe, Jayne Fitch
University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
Abstract
Coastal environments are among the most productive on the planet, providing a
wide range of ecosystem services. Development and exploitation means they are
also faced with stresses from a number of anthropogenic sources. Multiple
stressors can interact in ways that cannot be predicted from the effects of
individual stressors to produce unexpected effects on the stability and structure
of ecological systems. Here, we explore the impact of inorganic nutrients and
organic matter on the food web properties of marine sediment ecosystems in a
fully factorial 11 month experiment. We find that these two stressors combine to
produce significant increases in the connectance and average food chain length
of our chosen coastal systems. Increases in these two properties are typically
associated with enhanced robustness of food webs to secondary extinctions and
increased energy availability or productivity, respectively. Despite these apparent
beneficial effects, we find a simplification of these webs in terms of taxon
richness and diversity. There is also a potential weakening of the stability of
these webs through time, with increased temporal variability of secondary
production and selected food web properties. Consequently, these food webs are
likely to be more vulnerable to human- or climate-induced perturbations in the
long term.
81
21/0274
S
ea lions and sardines: integrating fisheries and ecological information into
c
onservation and management
P
ablo del Monte-Luna
1
,
David Aurioles-Gamboa
1
,
Carlos Ramón Godínez-Reyes
2
,
J
uan Pablo Gallo-Reynoso
3
1
C
entro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas-IPN, Mexico,
2
C
omisión Nacional de
A
reas Naturales Protegidas, Mexico,
3
C
entro de Investigación en Alimentación y
D
esarrollo, Mexico
Abstract
C
alifornia sea lion (Zalophus californiensis) abundance and small pelagics
industry in the Gulf of California (GC) strongly depend on regional sardine stocks
(Sardinops caeruleus). These predator-prey systems consist in: 1) pup’s age class
s
trength is proportional to food availability for reproductive females; and 2)
s
ardine comprises 60% of the total catch of small pelagics in the GC
(
600 thousand tons in 2010). By integrating fishing effort distribution data,
s
ardine landings, isotopic information and historical pup abundance, here we
s
how that whilst in some rookeries pup numbers positively correlate to sardine
catches, in others, local population trends depend on spatial distribution of prey
rather than on its abundance. Our results suggest that: 1) there is no significant
competition for sardines between sea lions and small pelagics fishing fleet; 2)
from seven rookeries, there are at least three ecologically discernible
management units, which contrast with current conservation strategies based on
a
single-population assumption; and 3) rookeries showing stronger dependence
o
n sardines constitute an evolutionary and ecological stronghold for Zalophus
californiensis within the GC. In order to extend the use of ecological knowledge to
marine mammal conservation and fishing sustainability, future research might
focus on comparing relative consumption rates of key sardine predators,
including man.
21/0280
T
rophic complexities in a diverse gelatinous community: an isotopic
p
erspective
N
icholas Fleming
,
Jonathan Houghton, Chris Harrod
Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, County Antrim, UK
Abstract
G
elatinous zooplankton play complex roles within marine systems, e.g. as
c
omponents of established food webs and as trophic conduits. However, intra-
guild predation of other gelata can be difficult to quantify via observation of gut
c
ontents alone. Stable Isotope Analysis is gaining momentum as a tool for
investigating the trophic ecology of gelatinous species and to complement
existing dietary studies. Typically, stable isotopes of carbon are used to
i
nvestigate the ultimate source of energy fuelling individual or groups of
c
onsumers, whilst nitrogen provides information on consumer trophic-level.
S
trangford Lough (NE Ireland) is a large, semi-enclosed embayment that is
c
haracterised by an elevated diversity of gelatinous zooplankton. As such, it
r
epresents an excellent location to examine the functional role of these taxa. We
report isotopic data from six abundant species of gelatinous zooplankton
(ctenophores and cnidaria) in conjunction with their putative prey, predators and
commensal/parasitic species. To understand the role of these taxa in coastal
marine waters, we examine carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios and use
mixing models to examine (1) intra-guild predation amongst gelata, (2)
a
llometric shifts in diet, and (3) how temporal shifts in community structure alter
t
he combined impact of gelatinous zooplankton on temperate coastal food webs.
2
1/0294
B
eyond Species Richness: Food Web Structure and Ecosystem Function
Jarrett Byrnes
National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, Santa Barbara, California,
U
SA
Abstract
Motivated by rapid rates of species extinctions worldwide, the field of biodiversity
a
nd ecosystem function research has demonstrated the ecological importance of
s
pecies richness. Extinctions do not merely alter species richness, however.
Rather, they alter the network structure of an ecosystem’s food web.
M
anipulations of the species richness of predators and herbivores have often
shown that food web structure can radically alter the consequences of diversity
l
oss. Therefore, we need to understand 1) how are human activities changing
food web structure and 2) what impact will changes in food web structure have
on ecosystem function. Here I show how an important driver of species
extinctions, climate change, can alter the network structure of kelp forest food
webs. I then demonstrate how initial food web network structure can moderate
the impacts of diversity loss. Predictions from these simple models match
variation in results from diversity manipulations driven by differences in food web
structure. I argue that future research needs to move beyond just focusing on
species richness, but also consider food web network structure.
2
1/0304
I
ntegrating all domains of life into food webs: The role of Archaea in metazoan
diets and implications for ecosystem function
Andrew Thurber
1
, Lisa Levin
2
, Victoria Orphan
3
1
F
lorida International University, Miami, Florida, USA,
2
S
cripps Institution of
Oceanography, La Jolla, CA, USA,
3
California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA,
U
SA
Abstract
G
razing or “Top-Down Forcing” can drive ecosystem function and diversity.
Archaea, a domain responsible for many ecosystem services, have yet to be
i
ntegrated into our understanding of food webs. Here we test whether Archaea
are a viable, utilized, and tractable food source for metazoans. In the laboratory,
w
e demonstrated Archaea are a nutritious and digestible food source sufficient
to allow metazoans to complete their life cycle. At a Costa Rican deep-sea
methane seep, sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB)/ Archaeal aggregates contain
isotopically- and structurally-unique fatty acids that were incorporated into
tissues of an endolithofaunal species of dorvilleid polychaete, documenting
consumption of these aggregates. Compound specific-carbon mass-balance
calculations indicated that archaeal biomass was also assimilated by the
dorvilleid. Fatty acid composition and
1
3
C signatures of dorvilleids from soft-
sediment methane seeps provided evidence that grazing on archaeal-SRB
aggregates is a widespread phenomenon. While biomarkers indicating
methanotrophic aggregate consumption were identified in polychaete biomass,
lab-reared and field-collected specimens did not show evidence of incorporation
of archaeal lipids. Our ability to identify archaeal grazing in habitats lacking a
distinct isotopic signature remains elusive. This study of cross-domain trophic
interactions has direct implications for biogeochemical cycles, ecosystem
function, and food-source diversity in the deep sea.
21/0447
Chess in the deep-sea: players, rules and winners in the exploitation of
resources.
Lara Pozzato
1
, Leon Moodley
1
, Jack J. Middelburg
2
, Karline Soetaert
1
1
NIOO-CEME, YERSEKE, Netherlands,
2
U trecht University, Department of Earth
Sciences - Geochemistry Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht, Netherlands
Abstract
The functioning of deep-sea food webs is not well known. We aim to elucidate the
trophic interactions in whole-community deep-sea food webs including microbes
and metazoans. During different cruises, we have collected a set of deep-sea
sediment samples (1900 m) in 2 different environmental settings: the Arabian
Sea, inside and outside the OMZ and the North East Atlantic. Those samples
were analysed with respect to the biomass and composition of the benthic
community, and their lipid and stable isotope content.In addition, we performed
onboard-ship manipulative experiments on intact sediment cores, adding a
quantity of potential food (isotope labeled POM and DOM obtained from algal
material) equivalent to the natural OM input in each site. The fate of this tracer
food was then followed in the different components of the seafloor community
after an incubation period of 5 and 7 days.To assess the effect of bottom water
oxygenation on the dynamics of the system, the O
2
concentration in the overlying
water of the incubated cores was also varied.
Detailed analysis of the response of each community component (bacteria versus
metazoans) provides new insights into the relationship between seafloor
community structure, external environmental conditions and seafloor
functioning in terms of carbon processing.
21/0531
The taste of diatoms: the role of diatom growth phase characteristcs and
associated bacteria for grazing by the harpacticoid copepod Microarthridion
littorale
Marleen De Troch
1
, Inge Vergaerde
2
, Clio Cnudde
1
, Pieter Vanormelingen
3
, Magda
Vincx
1
1
Ghent University, Marine Biology, Gent, Belgium,
2
University College West-Flanders,
Brugge, Belgium,
3
Ghent University, Protistology and Aquatic Ecology, Gent, Belgium
Abstract
Harpacticoid copepods are important primary consumers in intertidal sediments
where they mainly graze on benthic diatoms. They show selective grazing
patterns but yet the mechanisms for these remain not well documented.
We investigated the feeding preferences of the harpacticoid species
Microarthridion littorale on the diatom Seminavis robusta in different growth
phases. Based on a metabolomic approach, during the development of the
diatom culture complex changes in biochemical characteristics of the cells occur
as specific metabolites are temporarily released by growing diatoms. Major
changes in fatty acid composition, C:N ratio and EPS production were found. The
initial lag phase was characterised by high EPS levels and C:N ratio. The omega-
3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) was only detected in the late stationary
phase.
An isotope tracing experiment showed that grazing copepods respond to these
changes. M. littorale showed the highest uptake of diatom cells in the lag phase.
This is in contrast to the recently reported preference of planktonic copepods for
late stationary phase cells. The outcome of this study points at a bottom-up
control of diatoms on marine grazers but also underlines different forces
governing diatom-copepod interactions in benthic and planktonic communities.
82
21/0641
P
redation by Pelagia Noctiluca on Mnemiopsis Leidyi in the NW
M
editerranean Sea
U
xue Tilves
,
Verónica Fuentes, Macarena Marambio, Antonio Canepa, Alejandro
O
lariaga, Josep Maria Gili
I
nstitut of Marine Science, Barcelona, Spain
Abstract
T
he ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi was first reported in high concentrations in
summer 2009 along the catalan coast. In summer 2010 it reappeared, this time
w
ithstanding winter conditions, suggesting the establishment in the area.
Due to the negative impact of M. leidyi in marine ecosystems it is essential to
s
tudy its potential predators. Pelagia noctiluca, one of the most abundant
scyphomedusae in the area, is known as a predator of other jellyfish species.
Therefore, the objective of the present study is to determine if P. noctiluca can be
a potential predator of M. leidyi. Through laboratory experiments different
d
evelopmental stages of P. noctiluca and ctenophores were incubated and the
f
eeding behaviour; digestion time and ingestion rate studied.
The results of the feeding behaviour of P. noctiluca showed that the predation
differs depending on prey’s size. When adult’s ctenophores are used as prey P.
noctiluca torn away small pieces of tissue in each contact until it is completely
ingested. While when small ctenophores are utilized it can be ingested totally
a
fter the first contact with the medusae. Digestion time increases with the size
o
f the prey. The ingestion rate showed variability in order to prey concentration,
i
ncreasing with higher prey density.
21/0656
S
caling up the zooplankton grazing in models: field evidence and theoretical
p
redictions
A
ndrew Morozov
University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
Abstract
I
mprovement of the predictive power of plankton models is a challenging issue,
a
nd an adequate description of the grazing of herbivores is becoming
increasingly important. The conventional way of estimation of the grazing rates is
b
ased on the experiments on zooplankton feeding in laboratories. Those
experiments show that the ingestion rates of an individual zooplankter can be
described as a simple function of food density (the functional response) and,
t
hus, the grazing rate of the zooplankton population in vivo can be easily
c
omputed by multiplying the laboratory functional response by the amount
/
density of grazers. Yet, plankton modellers have increasingly recognized
p
roblems with descriptions of zooplankton grazing based on such simplistic
i
nterpretation of laboratory studies. The complex foraging behaviour of
zooplankton (feeding cycles) as well as the spatial heterogeneity of food and
grazers distribution (plankton patchiness) across time and space scales raise
questions as to the shape and even the existence of a functional response of
herbivores in vivo. I will show how the laboratory functional response can be
scaled up to incorporate the above effects on large spatial and time scales. The
t
heoretical results will be illustrated by using original field data on zooplankton
f
eeding of Calunus spp..
2
1/0709
B
iodiversity of parasitic isopods in marine fishes of Tamil Nadu, south east
coast of india.
Samuthirapandian Ravichandran
, Ganapthy Rameshkumar
A
nnamalai University, Tamil nadu, India
Abstract
Isopods parasites have received considerable scientific attention because they
c
ause series damage to fishery resources. Studying the diversity of parasites is
p
articularly relevant because sympatric diversification may be important in some
parasite taxa, and because of the opportunity for independent tests of
e
volutionary hypotheses in the many separate lineages in which parasitism
evolved. The present study reported the diversity of parasitic isopods in the
m
icrohabitat of marine fishes, for the first time along Tamil Nadu coastal
environment (Southeast coast of India) A number of 18 species belonging to 12
genera of isopods were distributed from 32 species of fishes. Their diversity of
existing parasite host systems in Indian coast was mostly on pelagic fishes. The
nature of infestation of isopod parasites in different host fishes is described.
Different microhabitat in the regions of the host body, namely bronchial region,
buccal region and body surface are infested by many species of isopod parasites.
Most of them like Joryma brachysoma and Nerocila phaeopleura is found host
specific, while Ryukyua circularis and Glossobius sp. showed less specificity. The
prevalence rate of parasites during different months and the range of host
specificity of isopods were studied.
2
1/0960
S
tudies on food web interactions in the Baffin Bay, an important Arctic marine
ecosystem
Doris Schiedek
1
, David Boertmann
1
, Michael Dünweber
1
, Flemming Merkel
1
,
K
asper Johansen
1
,
Per Møller
2
,
Frank Riget
1
,
Lars Maltha Rasmussen
3
,
Anders
Mosbech
1
1
A
arhus University, Denmark,
2
E
colipids/Cluster Biofuels Denmark, Denmark,
3
Greenland Institute of National Resources, Greenland
A
bstract
Present knowledge of diversity and functioning of Arctic marine ecosystems is
s
till limited. During autumn, seabirds migrate in large numbers from their
breeding sites on the coasts of Northwest Greenland and Arctic Canada to
w
intering sites off Southwest Greenland, Labrador and Newfoundland. Little is
known about their foraging activities, e. g. when crossing the Baffin Bay. In
September 2009 we studied the distribution of important seabirds during autumn
migration off West Greenland and how it is linked to occurrence of potential food,
i.e. zooplankton and fish (juvenile Polar cod). Distinct differences were found in
the distribution of important zooplankton species, i.e. Calanus finmarchicus, C.
glacialis, C. hyperboreus and Metridia longa, very likely due to differences in
hydrography and chlorophyll concentrations. The distribution of larger
zooplankton (Themisto spp.) and juvenile polar cod showed also spatial
differences and areas with higher densities were identified. In total about 14,000
seabird sightings were made; most numerous species were little auk, Northern
fulmar and thick-billed murre. Distribution hotspots were identified, often
overlapping with biomass hotspots of Themisto spp. and juvenile Polar cod.
Based on the found distribution/biomass patterns, stable isotope ratios and bird
stomach contents, food web interactions could be established and will be
discussed.
21/1052
Intraspecific predator diversity: cascading effects of body size in a salt marsh
food web
John Griffin
University of Florida, Florida, USA
Abstract
Functional traits have the potential to transform biodiversity-function research
into a predictive science. Body size is a key functional trait thought to link
organisms to their community interactions and impacts on ecosystem
functioning. We performed a field experiment to investigate the effects of both
the values and diversity of intraspecific predator body sizes and whether these
effects are robust to species identity. Specifically, in field enclosures in a US salt
marsh we manipulated body size within 2 species of predatory crab and
measured the strength of trophic interactions and cascading impacts on a suite
of ecosystem functions/properties over 4 months. Ecosystem functions varied in
sensitivity to experimental treatments. The strongest interaction cascade
resulted from predator suppression of fiddler crab density, which in turn
markedly reduced sediment redox potential. The strength of this cascade was
dependent on the interaction between predator body size and species identity.
Body size diversity meanwhile had no effect on fiddler impacts or redox potential
within either species. Our results show that body size must be used with caution
and in conjunction with other functional traits that vary with species identity in
the prediction of food web interactions and ecosystem functioning.
22/0007
Documenting jellyfish diversity through citizen science initiatives in Spain and
Malta
Verónica Fuentes
1
, Alan Deidun
2
, Dacha Atienza
1
, Aldo Drago
2
1
Institut de Ciencies del Mar, CSIC, P. Marítim de la Barceloneta, 37-49 08003
Barcelona, Spain,
2
International Ocean Institute - Malta Operational Centre,
University of Malta, Msida, Malta
Abstract
Burgeoning citizen science initiatives are a global phenomenon, tracing their
origins to the start of the 20
th
century when they were deployed mainly to count
birds, track weather and observe the universe. Recently, such initiatives have
been extended to the marine domain, to the documentation of marine invasive
species or of jellyfish species and swarms. In view of their widespread
occurrence and stochastic nature, jellyfish species and jellyfish swarm tracking
is inherently labour-intensive, a requisite which makes it well-suited for citizen
science initiatives. The CUBOMED, “Medusa Project” and Spot the Jellyfish
initiative, conducted along the Catalan and Maltese coasts during the 2007-2010
period, are just three examples of such citizen science initiatives conducted
within restricted regions of the Mediterranean, whilst CIESM’s Jellywatch
Programme is broader and extends over the entire basin. A total of 393 and 360
reports were submitted to the Catalan and Maltese initiatives during the 2010
summer, respectively, pertaining to 10 and 11 species of gelatinous plankton
(cnidaria, ctenophores, pelagic tunicates) respectively, some of which
constituting new records for the coastal areas of interest. This paper compares
and contrasts the outcomes, caveats and shortcomings of the three Catalan and
Maltese initiatives pursuant to fine-tuning future similar campaigns.
83
22/0100
A
students based research to detect activity rhythms in coastal fish species
Dario Savini
1
, Jacopo Aguzzi
2
, Paula Moschella
3
, Chiara Lombardi
4
, et al
1
F
or-Mare Association of Applied Ecological Sciences, Italy,
2
I
nstitut de Ciènces del
Mar, Spain,
3
CIESM, The Mediterranean Science Commission, Monaco,
4
ENEA,
M
arine Environment Research Centre, Italy,et al.
Abstract
D
iel cycles of some Mediterranean fishes were investigated by extending the
practice of community based participatory research to a group of 32
u
ndergraduate students. The study was carried out along the coastline of Linosa
Island (Sicily strait, Southern Italy, Central Mediterranean Sea) by means of
visual census. Students were trained to recognize 6 different fish species: Coris
j
ulis, Thalassoma pavo, Sparisoma cretense, Serranus scriba, Serranus cabrilla,
a
nd Sarpa salpa. The number of observed specimens was reported over standard
r
eplicate transects of 50 x 5 meters. Observations were carried out periodically
e
ach three hours during six days in order to provide time series data accounting
f
or population activity rhythms. The experimental design was ideated to test the
differences in the abundance not only according to the activity rhythm (‘3-hours
interval’) but also to other three different axes: ‘day’, ‘location’ and finally the
‘observer’. A clear diel pattern was pictured for each species, with peaks of
abundance during the day and lowest values during the night. This investigation
is part of the Pavia University programme and the core mission of the no profit
F
or-Mare association (www.for-mare.eu), encouraging students’ intellectual
r
esources while generating valuable data on questions of significance to
biodiversity.
22/0486
A
comparison of the marine biodiversity of Queensland’s tropical and
s
ubtropical reef habitats by the Reef Check Australia community monitoring
program
J
ennifer Loder
1
,
Marie-Lise Schläppy
2
1
R
eef Check Australia, Brisbane, QLD, Australia,
2
U
ni Research (Uni Environment),
B
ergen, Norway
Abstract
Reef Check Australia’s (RCA) trained volunteers have been monitoring the health
o
f coral reefs on the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) since 2001 and subtropical reefs in
South East Queensland (SEQ) since 2007. Both divergences and similarities in
biodiversity were evident when the two regions were compared. Results from
p
ooled regional surveys show differences in substrate composition as well as
d
istribution and abundance of fish & invertebrate communities. The tropical
c
oral reefs of the GBR had higher average coral cover (37%) than the rocky reefs
o
f SEQ (20%). Coral trout and grouper were found on more GBR research sites
(
36% and 45% respectively), although in relatively low abundances (<1/100m
2
)
.
Sweetlips (>3/100m
2
) and snapper (>6/100m
2
) were found on more SEQ research
sites (49% and 65% respectively). Butterflyfish were found on more SEQ sites
(86%), but in greater abundance on the GBR (>5/100m
2
). Urchins and anemones
were found on more SEQ sites (15% and 30% respectively) and in greater
abundances (>3/100m
2
and >5/100m
2
respectively). Giant clams were found on
m
ore sites (>80%) and in much higher abundances on the GBR (>12/100m
2
)
. Data
i
s stored in a publically-accessible database, a useful tool for detecting temporal
and spatial changes in reef biodiversity and health.
2
2/0502
C
hristians: opponents or partners in conserving marine biodiversity?
Robert Sluka
Marine Conervation Conultant, Chinnor, Oxfordshire, UK
Abstract
T
he global Christian Church represents over two billion stakeholders. Christians
worldwide are slowly realizing that their faith teaches them to actively be
i
nvolved in conservation. The Christian Church historically has been very active in
t
heir concern for the poor and is in the beginning stages of understanding the
link between the environment and poverty. Christian environmental activism has
d
eveloped strongly in areas such as agriculture and forestry, but has almost no
expression in marine conservation. A case study of the author’s work with the
C
hristian organisation A Rocha UK in studying marine biodiversity in the Gower
Peninsula, Wales will be used as an illustration of one group of Christians
working to conserve marine habitats. Communication and worldview issues
directly impact those working with Christian communities and has often
contributed to a view that these groups are working in opposition. Theory and
practice in cross-cultural communication can be used to address these
difficulties. Mapping marine biodiversity hotspots and Christian populations
shows that improving ocean knowledge among Christians has tremendous
potential for positively impacting marine biodiversity conservation.
2
2/0613
S
hark Sanctuaries: Benefiting the Economy and Ecosystem
KerriLynn Miller
Pew Environment Group, Washington, DC, USA
Abstract
S
harks have been swimming the world’s oceans for more than 400 million years,
but the increased demand for their products, particularly their fins, is pushing
m
any populations to the brink of extinction. As top predators in the food chain,
s
harks play an important role in the ecosystem and provide economic benefits
through ecotourism. Sharks have shown they are worth more alive than dead,
t
hus requiring permanent protections on a global scale before it is too late. There
is a solution- the establishment of shark sanctuaries. A shark sanctuary is a
p
lace where sharks can live and reproduce without the threat from fishing and
where countries benefit from the ecosystem and economic value that the
permanent protections of sharks provide. In 2009, Palau declared a shark
sanctuary in the entirety of their waters and has since issued, with Honduras, a
global challenge for other countries to follow their example. We explore the
progress we have made in shark conservation over the past two years through
shark sanctuary declarations, shark fin bans and other policy advancements.
22/0687
Governance of MPAs for effective engagement and managing stakeholders:
Case study on the Agojo Fish Sanctuary and Marine Park in Catanduanes
Island, Philippines
Jimmy Masagca
2
, Asuncion Asetre
1
, Sonia Vargas
1
, Estrella Tribiana
1
1
Catanduanes State Colleges, Virac, Catanduanes, Philippines,
2
Pacific Island
Institute for Pedagogy, Technology, Arts & Sciences & De La Salle University-
Dasmarinas, Virac, Catanduanes, Philippines
Abstract
The Philippines has emerged as a well-documented success story in the
management of Marine Protected Areas (MPA) due to the achievements
generated on community-based approaches to management. But looking into
the benefits, there are several attempts to explain whether effectiveness is
achieved in the context of conservation. This paper looks into how
contextualization in the governance of an MPA in an isolated island in Bicol
Region by focusing on effective stakeholder management and managing
stakeholder inputs. Concepts on stakeholders’ identification, engagement and
inputs are discussed here. The paper ends with the presentation of the various
programs and projects of two schools contributing for effective engagement of
MPAs in this isolated island province in the Philippines.
22/0767
A gelatinous future for the Mediterranean Sea?
Ferdinando Boero
1
, Emanuele Prontera
2
, Cinzia Gravili
2
, Paolo D’Ambrosio
3
,
Stefano Piraino
2
1
Università del Salento-CoNISMa-CNR-Ismar, Lecce, Italy,
2
Università del Salento,
Lecce, Italy,
3
AMP Porto Cesareo, Porto Cesareo, Italy
Abstract
In recent years, the Mediterranean sea is going through a phase shift from fish to
jellyfish, mostly documented by anecdotal evidence, since it is difficult to monitor
jellyfish presence over a wide spatio-temporal framework. In 2009-2010 CIESM
launched the Jellywatch, a citizien science exercise. A poster allowing for
species identification and providing information about how to deliver records,
was publicized by an intense media campaign. Thousands of records were
obtained, allowing the estimate of jellyfish diversity and presence along 8.000 km
of Italian coast. The presence of gelatinous plankton proved massive along the
whole coast, but the distribution of species in both space and time was not
homogenous. Records of the sightings of each species were ordered in a
temporal map, with a spatially explicit dynamic model, selecting the data
according to abundance estimates, geographic area, and date. Jellyfish caused
troubles to both tourism and human health, but also fisheries were probably
affected. Gelatinous plankton diversity is high and is increasing, due to the
arrival of new species that are added to the resident ones, whose presences do
not tend to decrease. The Jellywatch strongly suggests that the Mediterranean
Sea is going towards a gelatinous future.
84
22/0775
T
he status of Eritrea Marine Biodiversity (complied from different research
p
apers).
M
ehari Fessehaye
National Fisheries Corporation, Massawa, Eritrea
Abstract
T
he Eritrean Red Sea is known with home to globally important coral reefs,
m
angroves, sea grasses, seaweeds, seabirds, fishes and other habitats. It is also
known with highly marine biodiversity and unpolluted sea. The average salinity
a
nd temperature are reached (3.6 and 3.8 %) and (25 and 35
0
C
) respectively. The
sea water is characterized with heavy oligotrophy and low primary productivity,
contrasting with high biological biodiversity.
Some researchers have been undertaken surveys in past time. In the recent
survey a total of 220 species of corals were recorded. Three species of
mangroves were recorded the most dominant species, Avicennia marina. There
a
re also a total of 286 species of seaweeds and 12 species of seagrasses have been
r
ecorded.
The Eritrean coasts and islands are well known for the large diversity of seabirds
and shorebirds. As per last years ecological surveys, 84 species of seabirds and
shorebirds have been recorded. Fishes are characterized with many species.
Moreover, it has also five species of sea turtle and fifteen species of sea
c
ucumber were recorded.
Even though the sea is free of pollution and virgin several species are
threatened, because of industrial development, tourism, fisheries and less
a
warness of coastal habitants.
22/0937
B
iodiversity in the global ocean - incorporating molecular biology in field-
b
ased approaches to undergraduate studies of marine conservation.
E
rik Zettler
1
,
Linda Amaral-Zettler
2
,
Amy Siuda
1
,
John Jensen
1
,
Caleb
M
cClennen
3
1
S
ea Education Association, Woods Hole, MA, USA,
2
M
arine Biological Laboratory,
W
oods Hole, MA, USA,
3
W
ildlife Conservation Society, Bronx, NY, USA
Abstract
Divisions between science and policy are common among undergraduate education
p
rograms. With support from the US National Science Foundation, we are
developing a semester-long program Marine Biodiversity and Conservation, linking
science and policy through interdisciplinary research of a current topic in marine
c
onservation. The program challenges students to integrate scientific study of
m
arine biodiversity with conservation planning for the open ocean environment.
During the initial discovery phase students operate as a research team to develop a
c
onceptual framework, identifying gaps in biodiversity research and in methods
u
sed in ocean conservation. Students subsequently employ molecular and
m
orphological techniques to measure biodiversity during a month-long open ocean
r
esearch cruise, also archiving samples for the global marine biodiversity effort. In
the final application phase students generate science-based policy
recommendations and defend these to scientists and public stakeholders. This
program represents an unprecedented opportunity for undergraduates to
complement leading-edge techniques in marine science research with the wisdom
and skills to effectively operate within the world of public policy and tackle global-
scale environmental challenges.
M
ajor elements of this curriculum will be transferrable to local biodiversity and
conservation topics in any aquatic environment from a small pond or stream to the
seashore.
2
2/1083
T
he implementation of a sustainable seafood guide in Brazil: Guia de Consumo
Responsável de Pescados
Carla Isobel Elliff
, Driely Sato Marchesani, Carolina Pacheco Bertozzi,
A
lessandro Augusto Rogick Athiê, Cintia Miyaji
Centro Universitário Monte Serrat, Santos, São Paulo, Brazil
Abstract
D
ecline in fisheries has been the target of many discussions worldwide. Public
a
wareness seems to be one of the most important mitigating actions to be taken
in this case. Several countries have guides that orientate consumers towards
s
ustainable fisheries, indicating species that have overexploited stocks or not.
I
n Brazil, the first guide of this kind, called the Guia de Consumo Responsável de
Pescados, was created in 2008 by the Centro Universitário Monte Serrat
(
Unimonte) and the Grupo ANIMA Educação. The species within this guide refer
to those caught in the southeast region of the country. The abundance status of
each species was researched in various national and international databases,
such as IUCN, Instituto de Pesca de São Paulo, IBAMA, Greenpeace, etc. They
were then separated in four categories: “Bon appetite”, “Eat in moderation”,
“Avoid” and “No, thank you!”.
The promotion of this guide demonstrated a high interest of the population
towards the theme, considering the attention given by the media. Some fishing
companies have even adapted their fleets to target the more abundant species,
showing their commitment to sustainable fisheries.
2
2/1132
“
Life, The Sea and Many Stories to be Told - The Origin of Biodiversity in the
Oceans”:A Scientific Exhibition as a Powerful Tool for the Perception of Marine
B
iodiversity Importance
R
oberta Maia
1
,
Otto Oliveira
2
,
Alvaro Migotto
1
1
University of Sao Paulo, Brazil,
2
Federal University of ABC, Brazil
Abstract
T
he oceans’ importance for maintaining Earth’s climate balance in face of planet
c
hanges becomes increasingly evident. This has special significance for Brazil,
given the magnitude of its coastline, and the emergence of technologies for
o
ceanic exploitation that has changed the political landscape in the country,
resulting in greater public participation in strategic decisions. Located in an
e
nvironmentally sensitive area within one of the most beautiful coastlines in
Brazil, threatened by crude oil transport and uncontrolled seasonal tourism, the
Marine Biology Centre of the University of Sao Paulo (CEBIMar) has the mission
of bringing scientific knowledge to the public. The scientific exhibition “Life, The
Sea and Many Stories to be Told - The Origin of Biodiversity in the Oceans” was
designed to present issues such as the origin and diversification of life,
highlighting the ecological and historical importance of the biodiversity in the
oceans. Aiming to stimulate interest, critical reflection and opportunities for the
discovery of relationships among the themes addressed, the exhibition traveled
to several venues in Brazil and has been viewed by about 100,000 people. Now
we seek for partnerships to widen its outreach and produce its English version,
to continue promoting marine biodiversity awareness and education.
23/0073
How old are the genera of living brachiopods in warm-temperate and cold-
temperate waters?
Olga Zezina
P.P.Shirshov Institute of Oceanology of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IO RAS),
Moscow, Russian Federation
Abstract
Brachiopods as living marine Invertebrates are known as zoological group rich of
fossil findings. To clear the problem new publications help us: Treatise on
Invertebrate Paleontology revised in 1997-2007 and Check-List of recent
brachiopods annotated with geographical ranges of species published by the
author in 2008 and 2010. So now we have data on 390 recent species and 114
recent genera.
A special interest is situated in so called “transitional” faunistic zones between
the most low-latitude and the most high-latitude zones. The “transitional” zones
include their own endemic brachiopod genera (30% of all the genera in
temperate waters), more numerous to compare to the tropical zone (28%) and to
the cold-water ones (15% in Boreal-Arctic and 12% in the Antarctic).
The most ancient endemic genera from warm-temperate sone are known from
maastricht, and this zone is comparable to the tropic zone where endemic
genera appear in cretaceous and jurassic. In other “transitional” zones endemic
genera show their appearance at eocene and miocene when the recent contrast
climate was forming in the World Ocean because of the Circumantarctic
Current. Warm-temperate and cold-temperate “transitional” zones could be
considered as buffer system during the crises periods in the Earth history.
23/0467
Niche partitioning in ‘living fossils’ drives sympathetic radiation in the eastern
Pacific
Julia Sigwart
Queen’s University Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK
Abstract
Mopaliidae is a family of polyplacophoran molluscs (chitons) that are large and
abundant in rocky intertidal habitats especially in the temperate eastern Pacific.
The 24 species of Mopalia are particularly interesting as many species locally co-
occur, but this genus has a relatively recent origin in the Miocene (16 million
years ago). How have so many species radiated in a short geological time span
and within the narrow morphological constraint of the polyplacophoran body
plan? The present study investigated potential dietary niche partitioning in
Mopalia and other members of the family Mopaliidae through examination of
digestive anatomy and isotope analyses of carbon and nitrogen stable isotope
ratios. The gut length varies dramatically between (but not within) species.
However, isotopic values from body muscle tissue are surprisingly constrained in
species of Mopalia. The members of Mopaliidae include specialised predators
and other genera that are known to feed preferentially on “whole-leaf” green
algae; this evidence of specialisation is at odds with the traditional presentation
of chitons as basal grazing molluscs that can be included as a functionally
uniform ecological group.
85
23/0825
M
arine microplankton diversity: what the rocks tell us
Andrew Smith
1
, Graeme Lloyd
1
, Jeremy Young
2
, Paul Pearson
3
1
N
atural History Museum, London, UK,
2
U
niversity College, London, UK,
3
U
niversity of
Cardiff, Cardiff, UK
Abstract
T
he microfossil record provides an unrivalled source of data on evolutionary
p
atterns and ocean plankon’s response to global change. However, while
individual sites can give excellent high-resolution records at single locations,
g
lobal or ocean-wide biodiversity patterns are more difficult to obtain, as they
are distorted to a greater or lesser extent by sampling and rock record biases. To
quantify how significant these biases are we reconstruct biodiversity of
c
occolithophorids and planktic foraminifera over the last 150 Ma from two
i
ndependent and very different rock records, that derived from deep-sea
s
ediments and that from marine sediments preserved on land. Sampling effort
o
n land and in the deep sea is quantified and, in each case, found to correlate
s
trongly with taxonomic richness over time recorded from that environment. We
then apply a number of techniques that correct for sampling bias to derive our
best estimate of species diversity over time, and cross check the validity of our
approaches using the two rock records. We show that there is a long-term
biological pattern to marine microplankton diversity driven by biological
expansion and withdrawal from continental shelves, and a shorter term pattern
o
f rises and falls strongly influenced by rock record bias.
23/0829
H
opping Hotspots: the relation between paleoenvironmental variable and
b
iodiversity in the Cenozoic fossil record
W
illem Renema
NCB Naturalis, Leiden, Netherlands
Abstract
H
otspots are a dominant feature of global biodiversity patterns. Many coral reef
g
roups reach their greatest diversity here. Recent fossil and molecular evidence
reveal at least three marine biodiversity hotspots during the past 50 million
y
ears. The birth and death of successive hotspots highlights the link between
environmental change and biodiversity patterns.
M
any hypotheses have been formulated about the processes underpinning this
pattern, but the potential of the fossil record to discriminate between these
hypotheses is poorly utilized. The congruent biogeographical patterns of large
benthic foraminifera (LBF) with that of other tropical shallow marine organisms
s
how that LBF can be used for measuring overall diversity in tropical marine
e
nvironments. Here I use the correlation of genus and species richness in LBF
w
ith environmental parameters to evaluate several hypotheses, and especially
t
he positive correlation between temperature and diversity.
The Eocene ocean was very different from the present day ocean, with the
highest diversity at the northwest shores of the Tethys Ocean. This biodiversity
h
otspot was not associated with the warmest area of the Eocene ocean, but with
a
very similar temperature window as the current area of maximum diversity.
T
hese data hint at a temperature limitation to marine biodiversity.
2
3/0847
A
ssociations between Global climate and Phanerozoic biodiversity
Peter Mayhew
University of York, York, UK
Abstract
O
ver the Phanerozoic (the last 540 millions years, in which animal fossils are
abundant) the fossil record of taxonomic richness, extinction and origination is
a
ssociated with change in numerous other variables; these include the rock
r
ecord itself (e.g. the richness, origination and extinction of rock packages),
numerous isotopic proxies of environmental change (such as carbon, strontium
a
nd oxygen), and estimates of abiotic variables such as tropical sea surface
temperatures, global sea level, and atmospheric carbon dioxide levels. The
p
atterns of causation amongst these variables are largely unknown, and the
subject of active research. Global climate has shifted between warm,
greenhouse modes (in which evidence for glaciation is absent) and cool icehouse
modes seven times over the Phanerozoic, and this long term change is
associated with higher turnover (extinction and origination) during greenhouse
modes than in icehouse modes; turnover that includes many of the largest mass
extinctions. There is also an association between taxonomic richness and
temperature, although the direction of this association varies markedly between
datasets.
2
3/0885
S
urviving the Recovery: How the Aftermath of the End-Devonian Extinction
Shaped Subsequent Vertebrate Biodiversity.
Lauren Sallan
U
niversity of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
Abstract
Modern vertebrate biodiversity is represented by three groups: ray-finned fishes
(
actinopterygii; 30,000 species); tetrapods (25,000 species) and sharks
(
chondrichthyes; 1,100 species). A compositionally modern biota has existed
since the Devonian-era fauna of placoderms and lobe-finned fishes was
e
liminated during the Hangenberg event, 359 million years ago. Recent
biodiversity as a whole is contingent on such historic global events. However,
r
esearch on the 15 million year interval after the Hangenberg extinction, a period
of biotic low-diversity sometimes called “Romer’s Gap,” has revealed the extent
to which aftermath conditions also shaped subsequent diversity. While several
vertebrate lineages survived the extinction, nearly half of these were “dead
clades walking”: persisting without proliferating for millions of years. Contrary to
expectations, the radiations of modern groups did not converge on lost
ecomorphs or recover previous ecosystems. Instead, these produced a wealth of
novel morphologies (e.g. angelfish and eels) and trophic strategies (e.g. crushing
predators). The rise of new forms among previously rare vertebrate clades
changed existing ecosystems, affecting the diversity of ecologically connected
groups. The new challenge is to understand how the recovery favored certain
clades over others in forming modern biodiversity.
23/0903
The Great Divide: Proterozioc vs Phanerozoic marine biodiversity
Nicholas Butterfield
University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
Abstract
The Proterzoic fossil record (2500-542 Ma) has yielded a significant diversity of
marine organisms, but neverthess remains fundamentally more depauperate
than its Phanerozoic counterpart. Despite lingering concerns over the
preservational biases associated with biomineralization, the history of life on
Earth can be reliably divided into two major modes of expression, separated by a
transitional phase broadly equivalent to the Ediacaran Period (ca. 630-530 Ma).
Prior to the Ediacaran the biosphere was occupied almost exclusively by micro-
organisms characterized by conspicuously low biodiversity and conspicuously
low rates of evolutionary turnover - vs the fundamentally modern aspect of the
post-Ediacaran world. There is a cottage industry in hypotheses for this
revolutionary shift in biospheric expresssion, but the proximal causes are
undoubtedly due to the rapid evolutionary exapansion of animals at this time.
Not only is the majority of Phanerozoic marine diversity represented by animals,
they also account for much of the associated diversity via their powerful co-
evolutionary influence on other clades, on biogeochemical cycling, and indeed on
the nature of the evolutionary process itself. As such, the pre-Ediacaran, pre-
metazoan biosphere represents a fundamentally different world from the one we
are familiar with.
23/0905
The Great Ordovician Biodiversification Event
Alan Owen
University of Glasgow, Scotland, UK
Abstract
Although there are gaps and biases in the data, the fossil record shows that
marine biodiversity increased enormously during the Ordovician Period. The
‘Great Ordovician Biodiversification Event’ (GOBE) is reflected at all taxonomic
levels within the phyla that were established much earlier, largely during the
‘Cambrian Explosion’. A sustained rise in phytoplankton diversity began in the
late Cambrian and persisted into the Middle Ordovician. It was accompanied by
the Ordovician rise of a diverse zooplankton and a concomitant development of
the pelagic fauna. The ‘plankton revolution’ probably helped fuel the major
increases of the benthos that took place at all spatial scales. The benthos
occupied more ecospace than in the Cambrian, involved considerably more
tiering, especially above the sediment-water interface, and became dominated
by filter feeders. The palaeobiogeographical differentiation of faunas was
particularly strong during the Ordovician. The GOBE took place in, and was
promoted by, a rapidly changing world of widely dispersed continents, high sea-
levels, wide continental shelves (especially in the tropics), a cooling climate,
extensive volcanic and activity and even a major episode of meteorite impacts.
The GOBE set the pattern for marine life for at least the succeeding 200 m.y. of
the Palaeozoic Era.
86
23/0906
M
arine trace fossils and the biodiversity of benthic behaviour
Liam Herringshaw
E
arth Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
Abstract
U
nlike body fossils, trace fossils (fossilized tracks, trails and burrows) preserve
d
irect evidence of the behaviour of extinct organisms. Studying trace fossils
t
herefore reveals much about the evolution of benthic ecosystems.
T
he Cambrian Substrate Revolution marks the beginning of the Phanerozoic
d
iversification of life. It is defined by the switch from horizontal to vertical
bioturbation, with increasingly complex trace fossils preserving the evidence of
e
volving diversification of behaviour. By applying modern functional bioturbation
approaches to trace fossils across this interval, this presentation will reveal new
insights into which burrow types were most ecologically important.
M
ore problematical, however, and little-studied, is the relationship between
m
arine trace fossil diversity and biodiversity through the remainder of the
Phanerozoic. Is there any correlation between the two? Are there intervals of
trace fossil diversification? How do extinctions affect bioturbation? By analysing
burrow size, morphology and complexity over time, this presentation will provide
an overview of the changes in benthic marine ecosystems through the
Phanerozoic.
23/0919
T
race fossils: a unit and framework for measuring ecosystem function and
c
hange?
N
icholas Minter
Department of Geological Sciences, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon,
S
askatchewan, Canada
Abstract
B
ehavioural interactions between organisms and substrates are preserved in the
geological record as trace fossils. Trace fossils therefore provide a historical
r
ecord of the functions performed by organisms within benthic ecosystems; and
how these organisms and their environment have interacted and modified one
another through time. A common criticism levelled at trace fossils is that their
p
roducers cannot always be determined with confidence. However, just as there
a
re many versions of the same play with different actors, we can still identify the
p
lay by the roles that are being performed. The same is true for trace fossils
w
hereby we can characterize an ecosystem regardless of the animals present.
U
nlike ecological studies involving body fossils, which are often temporally and
spatially restricted, trace fossils enable us to compare ecosystems through time
and across environments. Trace fossils therefore provide a fundamental
framework and basic unit for quantifying ecosystem function and changes in
time and space. This allows us to tackle questions relating to ecosystem function
and engineering through time, the colonization of different environments, and
r
ecoveries from major biotic events. It will also provide insights for habitat
m
apping and predicting the impacts of environmental change on ecosystems and
biodiversity.
2
3/0949
L
ipid Biomarker Records of Biospheric Evolution for Neoproterozoic and Early
Paleozoic Oceans
Gordon Love
, Megan Rohrssen, Chao Li
U
niversity of California-Riverside, Riverside, California, USA
Abstract
Lipid biomarkers yield valuable and unique insights for deep time geobiology and
b
iogeochemistry concerning past ocean redox structure and biospheric
e
volution. Currently, the earliest convincing record for animals (Metazoa) comes
from a robust record of distinctive C
3
0
sterane biomarkers (24-
i
sopropylcholestanes) produced by demosponges as old as 713-635 Myr, found in
thermally immature late Cryogenian-Early Cambrian marine sedimentary rocks
f
rom South Oman Salt Basin.
A
s a way of characterizing evolving eukaryotic microbial community structure
then much interest lies in obtaining robust sterane records for Proterozoic and
Paleozoic rocks. Overwhelming evidence from lipid surveys of extant
microorganisms, combined with genomic data, suggests that 24-alkylated
steroids are robust marker for eukaryotes. A dominance of C
29
steranes, a
feature characteristic of a major green microlalgal source input, is also first
recorded during the interglacial Cryogenian (713-635 Myr) period and is also a
typical feature of Early Paleozoic rocks and oils. Ocean redox chemistry and sea
surface temperature variations strongly control the balance of bacterial versus
eukaryotic primary production. Major global environmental perturbations, such
as during the Hirnantian glaciation in the Late Ordovician, are shown to
significantly influence the marine microbial community structure in different
basins as recorded in ancient biomarker lipid patterns.
2
3/1004
D
iversity of trace fossils through the Phanerozoic
Alfred Uchman
Insitutute of Geological Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
Abstract
T
he diversity of animal activity traces, i.e. trace fossils, in deep-sea turbiditic
sediments changes remarkably through the Phanerozoic. It expresses changes
o
f animal behaviour in tight relation to the diversity changes of bio-taxa. The
t
race fossil diversity curve shows peaks in the Ordovician-Early Silurian and
Early Carboniferous, a low in the Permian- Late Triassic, a peak in the Tithonian-
A
ptian, a low in the Albian, and the maximum peak in the Eocene. The
contribution of graphoglyptid trace fossils rose gradually up to the end of the
M
esozoic, with a peak in the Paleocene-Eocene and a low in the Oligocene. The
diversity changes were influenced mostly by competition for food, bottom-water
temperatures, sediment oxygenation, and also, indirectly, by changes of the
number of turbiditic deposits (i.e. suitable deep-sea habitats). There is no clear
influence of the Ordovician/Silurian, Frasnian/Famennian, Triassic/Jurassic, and
Cretaceous/Tertiary major biotic crises, except for the lower-rank
Eocene/Oligocene crisis. However, the Ordovician/Silurian, Cretaceous/Tertiary
and Paleocene/Eocene crises influenced the graphoglyptid ichnodiversity (high
since the Late Cretaceous) and their relative abundance. The decrease of
diversity after the Late Carboniferous was probably caused by the Gondwana
glaciations and then by the Permian/Triassic mass extinction.
23/1015
Using species-area relationships and detectability to disentangle biodiversity
signals from geological and sampling noise
Alistair McGowan
University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
Abstract
Much effort in palaeobiology has been expended on estimating taxonomic
richness at various levels over the course of the Phanerozoic. The focus on the
global level tends to regard the whole world as a single data point and focus on
temporal variation. Yet the training of geologists, biogeographers and ecologists
tends to lead towards a focus on spatial variation. What benefits for
paleobiodiversity analyses might arise from returning to the notion that spatial is
special?
Spatially-explicit data may be key to distinguishing between signal and noise in
Phanerozoic biodiversity trends., following Cam et al. (2002). This study tested
the hypothesis that the shape of empirical species area relationships (SARs)
could be explained by variation in sampling effort, with a focus on the variation in
the detection probability of individual taxa. Statistical testing was carried out by
two methods: 1) Comparing the shape of estimated and observed SARs; 2)
Comparing the slope of SARs and habitat area relationships and found that
sampling alone could indeed explain SARs. Palaeobiologists could extend the
approach to included variables such as preservation potential, geological unit
diversity and reconstructed habitat diversity to disentangle genuine biodiversity
signals from geological and sampling biases in the fossil record.
23/1103
Diversity patterns of early vertebrates – testing marine macroevolutionary
patterns
Ivan Sansom
1
, Matt Friedman
2
1
University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK,
2
University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
Abstract
Patterns of biodiversity in deep time are well documented. Although not fully
understood, the origination of many lineages first takes place in shallow water,
nearshore environments, before their ranges expand into deeper water
ecosystems. In addition, numerous recent studies have identified the tropics as a
cradle of evolutionary innovation, with strong latitudinal diversity gradients being
a prominent feature of life on Earth over the past 500 million years. These
hypotheses have been developed largely on the basis of marine benthic
invertebrates. A test of these models is potentially available using the fossil
record of Palaeozoic fishes.
During their early evolutionary history, fishes undergo a series of evolutionary
radiations and show a major ecological revolution within their adult behaviour;
with the earliest fish being minor predators or suspension feeders and these are
subsequently joined by a suite of large free-swimming apex predators. Although
much of the Palaeozoic record is currently biased towards particular facies (i.e.
those that yield articulated specimens), many of the gaps may be filled in by
studying microremains and the development of a comprehensive database,
integrating fossil occurrence with palaeoenvironmental and palaeogeographic
data, is required to further improve our understanding of this significant interval
in vertebrate evolution.
87
23/1147
P
lanktonic biodiversity in the Ordovician and Silurian: the role of graptoloids
Mike Howe
1
, Jan Zalasiewicz
2
, Tim McCormick
1
, Andrea Snelling
1
, Mark
W
illiams
2
1
British Geological Survey, Keyworth, Nottingham, UK,
2
Department of Geology,
U
niversity of Leicester, Leicester, UK
Abstract
G
raptoloids are extinct colonial hemichordates, considered to be exclusively
planktonic. Ranging in age from the Ordovician to the Devonian, they are
g
enerally considered to be closely related to the extant pterobranchs. Their rapid
evolution and widespread occurrence has resulted in their frequent use for
correlating rock successions and has enabled the development of a detailed
s
equence of graptolite biozones, frequently with a resolution of less than a
m
illion years.
The publication by Zalasiewicz et al. in 2009 of the detailed stratigraphic ranges
o
f 697 taxa of graptoloids through 60 biozones and subzones in the Ordovician
a
nd Silurian strata of England, Wales and Scotland has provided an important
d
atabase ideally suited to the analysis of biodiversity within an important group
o
f marine plankton. Here we examine the contribution of these graptolite macro-
zooplankton to the evolution of Early Palaeozoic planktonic ecosystems and
biodiversity.
Z
alasiewicz, J.A., Taylor, L., Rushton, A.W.A., Loydell, D.K., Rickards, R.B. &
W
illiams, M. 2009. Graptolites in British stratigraphy. Geological Magazine, 146,
(
6), 785 - 850.
23/1153
E
xtinction debts and biotic recovery: insights from the fossil record of a
r
egional biodiversity crisis
S
hubhabrata Paul
,
Gregory Herbert, Peter Harries
University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
Abstract
T
he fossil record provides examples of ecosystem disruption and recovery at a
w
ide range of spatial scales and intensities. Of these, regional “mass” extinction
events may provide the best analog to the modern biotic crisis. Like today,
r
egional extinctions are uneven spatially, and rapid recovery is possible, in
theory, through recruitment from less disturbed, adjacent biotas. We examined
the controversial timing , magnitude, and extent of recovery in Florida
g
astropods following a regional extinction event within the last few million years.
I
ndividual-based rarefaction results from five stratigraphic intervals and the
R
ecent reveal that local richness of coastal seagrass gastropods declined by
m
ore than half two million years ago. Gastropod richness today is remarkably
s
imilar to gastropod richness in stratigraphic units formed shortly after this
extinction event, indicating that the impact of this regional extinction was long-
lasting (two million years), severe, and continues to the present day. Other work
has pinpointed the timing of the likely extinction trigger and initial ecosystem
response to 2.5 million years ago, 0.5 million years before the actual biodiversity
crisis occurred. This suggests that extinction debts can be persistent features
o
f regional biotas even over timescales of hundreds of thousands of years.
2
4/0179
B
iorhythms challenge to deep-water stock and biodiversity assessments:
video-solutions from cabled observatories
Jacopo Aguzzi
1
, Juan Baptista Company
1
, Corrado Costa
2
, Marjolaine Matabos
3
,
E
rnesto Azzurro
1
,
Antoni Manuèl
4
,
Paolo Menesatti
2
,
Francesc Sardà
1
,
et al.
1
Instituto de Ciencias del Mar, Spain,
2
Agriculture Research Council (CRA-ING),
I
taly,
3
U
niversity of Victoria, Canada,
4
U
niversity of Catalonia Spain, et al.
Abstract
A
nimals rhythmically displace along continental margins at a day-night and
internal-tidal periodicity. Thus, behavioural rhythms produce significant biases in
s
tock and biodiversity assessments if the timing of sampling is not properly
taken into account. So far, those biases are poorly understood, with the repetition
o
f trawling at a given location (as required for activity rhythms study) often
sacrificed to the needs of data collection over larger geographic areas (as
required for population distribution assessment). Permanent and cabled
multiparametric observatories are opening the possibility of direct, continuous,
and long-lasting monitoring of benthic communities in relation to habitat
dynamism. Diel fluctuations in the number of video-observed individuals can be
used as a proxy of average population activity rhythms. Therefore, the
implementation of automated video-image analysis can transform video cameras
into efficient bio-sensors for the direct measurement of life processes at
populations and species level. When produced bio-information is coupled with
contextual habitat metadata, also gathered at the same frequency from
oceanographic sensors, a first trustable cause-effect relationship can be
proposed in order to explain ecosystem functioning based on the activity rhythms
of species constituting the community.
2
4/0245
A
ssessing benthic biodiversity for management of ecosystem health: What
sampling gear and fauna components should we choose? L. Buhl-Mortensen,
P
. Buhl-Mortensen, B. Holte & A.H. Tandberg Institute of Marine Research
L
ene Buhl-Mortensen
,
Pål Buhl-Mortensen, Børge Holte, Anne Helene Tandberg
Institute of Marine Research, Bergen, Norway
Abstract
T
raditionally, bottom fauna has been studied with focus on one size group,
s
ampled with one type of gear, and has often concerned a single taxonomic
group. This has allowed for detailed comparisons of diversity patterns within
g
roups of benthic organisms. However, the way organisms experience, explore
and use their environment differs with e.g. size, taxonomical group, life stage,
a
nd ecological function. Studies comparing the response in diversity of different
taxonomic groups to organic load and hypoxia have revealed clear differences.
This should affect how we map and monitoring biodiversity.
The “MAREANO” program conducts baseline mapping for management. From
2006 to 2010 an area of 70 000 km
2
off northern Norway has been mapped
including: canyons, cold seeps and coral reef areas at depths 40-2700 m.
Mapping biodiversity in a varied seascape is challenging. Benthos has been
documented using video, multicorer, grab, boxcorer, beam-trawl, and
epibenthic-sled. Results show that the information gained on biodiversity varies
considerably between gears and is strongly affected by the sample-ability of
different substratum. We present results from earlier studies and MAREANO on
the diversity/environment relation of different benthic organism groups followed
by a discussion of how to map and monitor marine biodiversity.
24/0346
New field methodological approaches for the study of benthic boundary layer
(BBL) biodiversity
Panayota Koulouri
1
, Christos Arvanitidis
1
, Drosos Koutsoubas
3
, Costas Dounas
1
,
Anastasios Eleftheriou
2
1
Institute of Marine Biology & Genetics, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research,
Heraklion, Crete, Greece,
2
Department of Biology, University of Crete, Heraklion,
Crete, Greece,
3
Department of Marine Science, University of the Aegean, Mytilene,
Greece
Abstract
The benthic boundary layer (BBL) supports epibenthic, hyperbenthic and
zooplanktonic, mostly macrofaunal, organisms with different degrees of mobility
and bottom dependence. BBL species constitute a major link in marine food
webs as consumers of detritus particles and associate microbes, meiobenthos
and plankton and as prey for demersal fish and epibenthic crustaceans, many of
which are commercially important. For the study of this particular fauna,
specially designed sledges have been used over the last 30 years. However, there
are still practical difficulties to sample efficiently at the sediment-water interface
where many of these organisms are concentrated. As part of research into the
development of new methods for the study of BBL biodiversity in the Cretan
continental shelf, a modified hyperbenthic sledge (TTSS2) specifically designed
to artificially resuspend the surface sediment and simultaneously to sample BBL
macrofaunal organisms was tested. Comparison of species diversity patterns
derived from samples collected by using this sledge, traditional benthic,
hyperbenthic and pelagic gears combined with those from stomach content
analysis of local demersal and bentho-pelagic fish indicates that the new
sampling methodology could be effectively describe trophic interactions within
the BBL habitat.
24/0357
In-situ chemical tools to study sulfide speciation and dynamics in marine
environments
Mustafa Yucel
, Leonardo Contreira, Nadine Le Bris
Universite Pierre et Marie Curie, Banyuls-sur-mer, France
Abstract
Reduced sulfur oxidation serves as an energy source in various seafloor
ecosystems akin to the sunlight’s role in the sunlit ocean. The toxicity of sulfide,
however, exert significant constraints on organisms that need specific
adaptations to tolerate exposure to this compound. Therefore, the temporal
dynamics of dissolved sulfide and its speciation between organic and inorganic
forms in marine systems are quite important to understand its role in the
ecosystem functioning. This communication will overview in situ analytical
methods that have been used to study temporal dynamics of sulfur
ecogeochemistry at sulfidic marine environments with an emphasis on
potentials for autonomous monitoring. Specific focus will be on colorimetric,
potentiometric and voltammetric methods. We will present recent field and
experimental data to demonstrate the importance of reduced sulfur speciation
and its temporal dynamics to drive biological processes and biodiversity.
88
24/0702
T
he dynamics of Tropical and Temperate Fish Assemblages on a subtropical
r
eef complex: When too many transects are barely enough!
D
aniel Bucher
,
Zan Hammerton
Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW, Australia
Abstract
J
ulian Rocks is a subtropical reef complex noted for its high biodiversity in Cape
B
yron Marine Park, Australia. It supports a mix of warm-temperate/subtropical
and tropical fish species. Using video transect data we investigated the temporal
a
nd spatial dynamics of this mix. We hypothesised that tropical species would be
more commonly encountered when water temperatures are highest and less
abundant in the cooler seasons. We anticipated that seasonality would be
r
educed with depth because stratification in the water column keeps
t
emperatures lower and more stable at depth. The number of temperate species
p
er 30m transect remained relatively constant across depth and season. The
t
ropical component was more dynamic, with a decline in species richness with
d
epth and a strong seasonal influence, especially in shallower locations.
Surprisingly, tropical species richness peaked well before water temperatures
began to rise. While average transect data can adequately document changes in
the tropical:temperate species ratio, it under-estimates the overall ratio in the
species pool of each location because the majority of abundant, resident species
were temperate and the majority of tropical species were relatively rare or
t
ransient . We discuss the approach of comparing species-accumulation curves
t
o detect changes among the many relatively rare species.
24/0814
I
n situ optical assessment of fish abundance and diversity in complex habitats
b
y 3D imaging.
P
hilipp Fischer
Alfred-Wegener-Institut, Helgoland, Germany
Abstract
I
n an in situ experiment in the North Sea (Germany), the temporal and spartial
d
istribution of juvenile fish have been studied at five different natural and
artificial structures using 3D imaging technology. Using a small semi-portable
u
nderwater observatory, the fish abundance, species composition and species
specific length distribution has been assessed continuously for several months in
2009 and 2011. The results show a distinct diel rhythm in habitat use of the fish
w
ith high abundances at the structures during daytime, intermediate
a
bundances during twilight and only few specimen using the structures during
t
he night. Most remarkable, the artificial structures were preferred over the
n
atural „complex“ structures (macro algae). The results show a highly complex
t
emporal and spatial dynamic in habitat use by the shallow water fish community
which would never had been resolved with classical methods like fyke- or
gillnets. The assessment system proved highly valuable in assessing such small-
scale temporal patterns in species-habitat interactions, as well as changes in
habitat preferences of fish over the diel cycle. Such patterns are important for a
detailed and mechanistic understanding of species-habitat interactions, not only
i
n fish but also in most aquatic macro-organisms.
2
4/0866
C
ompiling survey datasets for biodiversity pattern description, validation and
correlation with trophic structure: an intertidal study
Carl Reddin
Q
ueen’s University, Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK
Abstract
Understanding scale-dependent patterns in biodiversity, and the processes that
u
nderlie them, is critical for the conservation of biodiversity. However, it is often
a
challenge to compile enough data to describe large-scale temporal and spatial
patterns accurately. The many data points accumulated by pooling ecological
d
atasets offer new opportunities if analyzed with robust and well considered
statistical techniques, especially where sampling effort is inconsistent. In the
p
resent study, both established and new methods for compiling such data are
presented and critiqued for a temperate intertidal system, and the species
richness patterns extracted are corroborated with field sampling. The results of
this approach are then used to address the urgent need for appraisal of links
between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, by correlating species richness
with large-scale trophic structure. Stable isotope analysis of five ubiquitous
rocky shore species, including grazers and suspension feeders, from sites
around the Northern Irish coast was used to quantify trophic structure variability
and the significance of the pattern relationships were tested statistically. These
results demonstrate that the increase in accessibility of ecological data can be
further exploited by conservationists and scientists to map biodiversity, assess
its relationship with biotic and abiotic factors, and advance ecological theory.
2
4/1107
B
enthic landers as an integrated tool for deep-sea coral community research.
Steve Ross
1
, Sandra Brooke
1
1
Univ. of NC at Wilmington, Wilmington, NC, USA,
2
Marine Conservation Biology Inst.,
B
ellevue, WA, USA
Abstract
Benthic landers have been widely used and have proven valuable for collecting
d
ata that are otherwise unavailable. They can accommodate biological
e
xperiments and a variety of instruments, gathering a unique, intense data
stream. Landers are generally not represented by standardized designs, and
o
ften landers are constructed to meet the needs of particular research
questions. Instruments are usually not integrated, and data cannot be retrieved
u
ntil landers are recovered, which often means a wait of months to over a year to
see data or determine if instruments worked. While some landers have camera
systems, these are usually proprietary and not generally or affordably available.
These powerful systems could benefit from technological improvements. We are
incorporating benthic landers into our research, which is mostly focused on
deep-sea coral ecosystems off the US Atlantic coast (300-1000 m depths). We
have generated a flexible, standardized lander design which is being improved.
We have designed lander mounted experimental mesocosms which can maintain
cold-water fauna during the trip to and from the surface and expose them to
ambient conditions once on the bottom. Currently, we are addressing
instrument integration, more timely delivery of data, and more robust and
standardized camera systems for the landers.
25/0269
Spatial dynamics of fish in relation to offshore structures
Stephen P. Cotterell
1
, Matthew McHugh
1
, David Jacoby
1
, Nicolas E. Humphries
1
,
David W. Sims
1
1
Marine Biological Association of the U.K., Plymouth, UK,
2
School of Marine Science
and Engineering, Marine Institute, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, UK
Abstract
Movement, behaviour and space use of important fish species at small spatial
scales and long timescales is not well known, yet will be vital for understanding
the effects of offshore renewable energy devices on these animals. We have
deployed an array of acoustic fish tracking devices borne on seabed landers that
detect and record the presence of tagged fish. The devices are currently located
in an area of Whitsand Bay, Cornwall, surrounding two shipwrecks (dimensions,
2.1 x 1.5 km). To date, 106 fish from 10 species have been tagged and released
into the array so that movements, site fidelity and wider dispersal patterns can
be monitored. Tagged fish have been detected for several weeks and up to many
months, indicating some degree of site fidelity across species. There is variation
in detection location as fish undertake shifts in microhabitat use, perhaps due to
different substrates and habitat within each device’s detection range (up to 350m
radius). Some 35 fish have been returned via the fishery, with most returns being
a few nautical miles from the array, with more distant recaptures usually to the
west. The MBA Seabed Landers will soon be deployed at an offshore renewable
energy site.
25/0270
The importance of artificial structures for the shallow water crustacea and
demersal fish community of the southern North Sea
Stephanie Wenkamp
1
, Philipp Fischer
1
1
Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Resaerch; Biologische Anstalt
Helgoland, Helgoland, Germany,
2
Jacobs University, Bremen, Germany
Abstract
Coastal protection measures become of increasing importance with respect to
the expected changes in climate over the next decades. Nevertheless, there is
only limited information on the ecological role of artificial hard bottom structures
in temperate and northern cold-water areas. In this study, we investigated the
effects of so called “Tetrapods” (4-footed breakwaters) as artificial constructions
in sublitoral habitats in the southern North Sea.
In an in situ - study using SCUBA, we performed monthly countings of the visible
fish and crustacea species along fixed transects in experimental “Tetrapod”
fields in 5 and 10 m water depth. The results show that fish biomass in close
vicinity to the artificial structures is significantly higher compared to the farer
surroundings. In contrast, no effect has been revealed for crustacea.
Furthermore, the species composition slightly changes towards the structures
with an increase to semi-benthic species, i.e. juvenile cod (Gadus morhua) and
goldsinny (Ctenolabrus rupestris).
It is discussed if the increase in biomass is mainly due to migration of fish
towards the structures searching for food and hiding-places or if an additional
biomass increase is achieved by an increase in individual growth rates due to an
additionally food supply related to the structures.
89
25/0292
I
nfluence of near bottom mariculture structures on intertidal diversity
Leah Bendell
S
imon Fraser University, British Columbia, Canada
Abstract
T
he intertidal regions of the Pacific Northwest are under ever increasing
p
ressure for the purpose of near-bottom mariculture. In British Columbia (BC),
m
ariculture practices include seeding the foreshore with the non-indigenous
Manila clam (Venerupis philippinarum) followed by the application of anti-
p
redator netting. Intertidal macroflora and macrofauna communities were
compared among 8 farmed and 7 reference sites from 3 geographically distinct
regions of BC. Results demonstrate that mariculture practices encourage growth
a
nd biofouling of the netted areas with Ulva spp. with a corresponding reduction
i
n the density of macroinvertebrates on farmed versus reference sites.
O
rdination by non-metric multidimensional scaling (MDS) indicated that
m
acroinvertebrate communities on farmed sites were more regionally similar as
c
ompared to reference sites. These findings suggest that intertidal regions are
becoming homogenized (where biotic homogenization is defined as the gradual
replacement of native biotas by locally expanding non-natives) with the Manila
clam becoming the dominant bivalve on both reference and farmed sites. Study
outcomes do not support the role of anti-predator netting serving as an artificial
reef to enhance habitat by providing a three dimensional structure in the
i
ntertidal zone; rather as applied in coastal BC, the netting is analogous to
s
tructural pollution that results in habitat degradation.
25/0295
S
patio-temporal variation in the regional distribution and diversity of gadoid
f
ish (family: Gadidae) in relation to the installation history of offshore artificial
structures in the North Sea
T
oyonobu Fujii
U
niversity of Aberdeen, Scotland, UK
Abstract
T
here are no less than 6000 offshore installations extracting oil and gas from the
continental shelf worldwide. Initially, marine policy issues surrounding the
o
ffshore activities were focused upon the effects of new production facilities on
fish stocks and fisheries because they could generate negative externalities
either by increasing local pollution level or by making considerable fishing areas
i
naccessible for fishing vessels. However, recent studies have suggested the
p
resence of such structures may in fact have beneficial effects because they may
s
erve as artificial reefs that attract marine life and increase the number of fishes
a
nd invertebrates around them. Characterizing spatio-temporal dynamics in the
f
ish community is of great interest in a biodiversity context because such
patterns may reflect the impacts of long-term anthropogenic activities on the
structure and functioning of ecosystems. Many fish species of the family Gadidae
have been shown to exhibit enhanced abundance around offshore structures in
the North Sea, and hence changes in the distribution and species richness of
gadoids in the past 25 years have been examined. These data will be linked to the
s
patial patterns and installation history of offshore platforms and implications
f
or the ecological impacts of long-term offshore activities will be discussed.
2
5/0345
E
xperimental evidence of a facilitation cascade involving three habitat-forming
species
Melanie Bishop
1
, James Byers
2
, Benjamin Marcek
3
, Paul Gribben
4
1
M
acquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, Australia,
2
U
niversity of Georgia, Athens,
GA, USA,
3
University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, USA,
4
University of Technology
S
ydney, Ultimo, NSW, Australia
Abstract
T
here has been much emphasis on the role of habitat-forming species in
facilitating dense and diverse biological communities, yet how they interact to
d
etermine community assembly is seldom considered. We tested whether the
community structure of epifaunal invertebrates is dependent on positive density-
d
ependent interactions between three co-occurring habitat-forming species: the
fucoid alga, Hormosira banksii; the oyster, Saccostrea glomerata; and the
mangrove, Avicennia marina. Field surveys revealed patch-scale variation in
fucoid algae accumulation and, in most instances, oyster density that
corresponded to patch-scale variation in the density of mangrove
pneumatophores. The abundance and species richness of epifauna were, in turn,
positively correlated to pneumatophore density and H. banksii biomass. In
experiments separating effects of pneumatophores from effects of algal
biomass, only manipulation of H. banksii density directly influenced epifaunal
community structure. Hence, the effect of pneumatophores on epifauna was
primarily an indirect effect arising from higher pneumatophore densities
trapping more H. banksii. Oysters were, however, also boosted in abundance by
pneumatophore density and supported different communities to any other
substrate. Hence, pneumatophores also had indirect effects on invertebrate
communities resulting from their facilitation of oysters. Our results add to
growing evidence that facilitation cascades can be important determinants of
community structure.
2
5/0414
C
onservation Challenges in Marine Urban Environments
Laura Airoldi
1
, Michael W. Beck
2
, Fabio Bulleri
3
, Filippo Ferrario
1
, Fiorenza
Micheli
4
, Valentina Nicotera
1
, Shimrit Perkol-Finkel
1
1
1
. Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna, Ravenna, Italy,
2
2
. The Nature
Conservancy and University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, USA,
3
3. University
o
f Pisa, Pisa, Italy,
4
4
. Stanford University, USA, Italy
Abstract
T
he present work addresses the broad scientific theme of predicting and
mitigating the effects of modifications of marine seascapes caused by the spread
o
f human artificial structures in the sea. Marine urban infrastructures share
similar functions and impacts to terrestrial constructions. Yet their management
i
s still based on uncritical assumptions of similarity to natural reef habitats. We
show results of experimental work aiming at developing means for promoting
the growth of desirable assemblages on coastal defence and other armoured
marine infrastructures along the North Adriatic Sea. We tested experimentally
the hypothesis that one of the negative impacts of urban infrastructures, i.e. the
expansion of opportunistic and invasive species, could be mitigated through an
improved management of the severe human disturbances that are typical of
these environments, such as those from continued maintenance and renovation
of structures and from overharvesting. We also tested the feasibility of promoting
the conservation of desirable native species on urban marine structures, such as
the endangered seaweed Cystoseira barbata. We demonstrate that mitigation of
impacts is a possible outcome of policies that explicitly consider the different
ecology of built infrastructures and the fundamental value of controlling urban
biodiversity.
25/0417
Variation in larval buoyancy as an influence on coastal transport and dispersal:
implications for colonisation of offshore renewable structures.
Raeanne Miller
, Michael Burrows, Clive Fox, Mark Inall
Scottish Association for Marine Science, Oban, UK
Abstract
The construction of marine renewable energy devices will alter the availability of
shallow water hard habitat around the UK. These structures may act as artificial
islands, encouraging changes in species ranges by acting as stepping-stones for
dispersal across biogeographic boundaries. For marine organisms with pelagic
larvae, the vertical positioning of larvae in stratified coastal flow fields can be an
important determinant for transport, dispersal, and patterns of population
connectivity. Between-species differences in larval buoyancy may drive
differential transport of larval assemblages, resulting in distinct patterns of
connectivity. Combining laboratory measurements of larval sinking rate with
three-dimensional plankton sampling, this study explores the effects of larval
buoyancy on the dispersal of acorn barnacles on the Scottish west coast.
Between-species variations in naupliar density may be a driver of varying depth
distributions of both larval and adult communities. Divergence in the vertical
positioning of sub-tidal and inter-tidal larvae may also explain previously
observed horizontal variations in larval distributions of these species. For many
species, larval density and other physiological properties can be important when
assessing the potential biogeographic impacts of marine renewable energy
device installation as well as for the effective development of marine protected
areas, a current UK policy objective.
25/0599
Moving on from a sticker book and fuzzy felt approach to marine habitats?
Jay Willis
, Diane Jones
HR Wallingford Ltd., Oxford, UK
Abstract
It is possible to combine models of water and animals to make better predictions
about the ecosystem impact of new structures placed in the sea. Hydrodynamic
and water quality models help understand how the physical situation might
change; how waves, wind and tides move water and sediments and how chemical
processes and substances act. We can use these models to inform models of
biology - especially swimming animals - and we should move on from static flat
pictures of marine habitats and attempt to understand them in their dynamic
reality. We need to identify how new structures placed in the sea are likely to
impact animal movement as forcing course changes, denying refuge, or
fragmenting habitats can alter population level dynamics profoundly. We have
been experimenting with placing swimming objects inside our hydrodynamic,
acoustic and water quality models. As examples we will show migratory fish
moving through hydropower schemes, swimming larvae and larger animals
reacting to temperature and acoustics. This area of modelling promises much
improved prediction of cumulative impacts on ecosystems but it is an emerging
field and faces many challenges. We discuss these challenges and opportunities,
including dealing with model uncertainty and practical aspects of coupling
complex models.
90
25/0853
B
iodiversity Associated with Sabellaria spinulosa Reefs in the UK
Bryony Pearce
1
1
M
arine Ecologcical Surveys Ltd, Bath, UK,
2
M
arine Institute, University of Plymouth,
Plymouth, UK
Abstract
T
he polychaete worm Sabellaria spinulosa can have a huge impact on the physical
n
ature of the seabed, turning large quantities of sand into intricate, though often
disorderly, reef structures. Like other factors known to increase habitat
c
omplexity, the presence of these reefs has often been linked with an increase in
biodiversity. Detailed studies carried out to test this assumption have
demonstrated that S. spinulosa reefs can consolidate benthic communities,
e
nhancing their abundance, biomass and alpha diversity. The variation in species
c
omposition, or beta diversity, within these reef communities is however lower
t
han surrounding sediment deposits such that a species discovery curve reaches
i
ts asymptote with relatively little sampling effort. This has important
i
mplications for both the conservation value of S. spinulosa reefs and their
function in the wider marine ecosystem. Macrobenthic species which are found
only sporadically in sedimentary environments are effectively condensed by S.
spinulosa reefs so that the preservation of such structures would safeguard a
large proportion of macrobenthic species in a relatively small area. The
concentration of faunal biomass also provides an easily accessible source of prey
f
or demersal fish and large invertebrates.
25/0862
F
irst stages of benthic faunal colonisation on artificial reefs in Marseille
(
North-Western Mediterranean Sea)
M
aude Dubois
,
Islam Bentahar, Pierre Chevaldon, Thierry Perez
DIMAR, UMR CNRS 6540, Centre d’Océanologie de Marseille, MARSEILLE, France
Abstract
A
rtificial reef systems can enhance the natural production of marine resources
a
nd thus be part of integrated coastal management plans. Since March 2007,
about ca 27.000m
3
of artificial reefs have been deployed in Marseille. A study of
t
he colonisation dynamics by benthic organisms was initiated to contribute to the
understanding of artificial reefs functioning.
O
ur monitoring is based on a seasonal photographic survey of sessile fauna and
an annual sampling of the mobile fauna colonising “oyster-shell bags” which are
reef devices providing cavitary habitats.
A
fter 2 years of immersion, reefs are fully covered by a high diversity of
o
rganisms. Among sessile species, Porifera, Bryozoa and Ascidiacea are
dominant. Within “oyster bags”, 117 taxa were identified. The mobile fauna
accounts for 69 % of the bags’ species richness. The dominant taxa are:
Crustacea (31%), Mollusca (25%), Annelida (16%) and Teleostei (5%).
Crustaceans are also dominant in terms of biomass (78 % of the total). Overall,
the assemblage is dominated by dwellers of natural hard substrate communities
a
nd rather opportunistic species. These results illustrate the efficiency of
a
rtificial reefs to concentrate potential food resources for species at higher
l
evels in the trophic network.
2
5/1175
P
hysical disturbance leads to declines in the condition and biodiversity of
Modiolus modiolus reefs in Strangford Lough, Northern Ireland.
Elisabeth Strain
1
, Caries Davies
3
, Jose Fariñas Franco
1
, Emma Gorman
1
,
C
hristine Maggs
1
,
Bernard Picton
2
,
Anne Marie Mahon
1
,
David Symth
1
,
David
Roberts
1
1
Q
ueens University, Belfast, UK,
2
U
lster Museum, Belfast, UK,
3
G
alway-Mayo Institute
of Technology, Galway, UK
A
bstract
The horse mussel, Modiolus modiolus is a long lived marine bivalve, which can
f
orm complex biogenic habitat, with high biodiversity. In the 1970’s, M. modiolus
was reported have formed extensive areas of biogenic reefs in Strangford Lough,
N
orthern Ireland. These intricate structures provided attachment, crevice space
and faeces and pseudofaeces enriched sediment for < 300 sessile and mobile
fauna. However, in the 1990’s, surveys showed that the reefs had been damaged
through mobile fishing. We conducted repeat surveys to monitor the current
distribution, density and condition of M. modiolus reefs, and its associated fauna.
Survey results have indicated a substantial reduction of the distribution, density
and condition of M. modiolus communities, with the greatest losses occurring
between the 1980’s to 1990’s. In ‘poor’ condition reefs there were declines
through time in the mean number of species, the Simpson’s and Pieolu indices
and key characteristics species including, the bivalves Chlamys varia, the queen
scallop Aequpectin opercularis, hydroids, ascidians and sponges relative to
‘good’ condition reefs. This study has shown that mobile fisheries can result in
increased fragmentation of a M. modiolus reef ecosystem and an overall
reduction in biodiversity.
2
6/0545
E
ffects of bioturbation on ammonia oxidising microbial communities in marine
sediments.
William Gilbertson
, Martin Solan, James Prosser
U
niversity of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
Abstract
Mixing caused by invertebrate activity (bioturbation) has a well established role
i
n a number of key microbe-mediated processes in marine sediments, including
n
utrient and organic matter cycling; however the microbial mechanisms
underlying rate changes are largely unknown. To investigate these mechanisms,
m
esocosms were inoculated with invertebrates (Hediste diversicolor, Corophium
volutator, Hydrobia ulvae) that have varying effects on the sediment profile.
I
ncreased nitrification compared to controls was similar between H. diversicolor
and C. volutator, while there was greater relative increase in denitrification in H.
diversicolor. Abundance of crenarchaeal (AOA) and betaproteobacterial (AOB)
amoA genes in extracted DNA did not significantly change under invertebrate
activity; however there was a significant (p=0.01) increase in AOB relative to AOA
under C. volutator. AmoA abundance ranged from 1.4 x 10
6
to 1.0 x 10
7
g
-1
for AOB
and 2.8 x 10
5
to 2.4 x 10
6
g
-1
for AOA. DGGE analysis showed largely consistent
AOA and AOB community profiles across treatments. AOB profiles were
dominated by Nitrosospira bands, but a faint Nitrosomonas band became
stronger in the presence of H. diversicolor but was absent with C. volutator after
15 days, suggesting burrowing form may be more influential than turnover rate
for AOB selection.
26/0635
The Microbial Inventory Research Across Diverse Aquatic (MIRADA) LTERs’
Contribution to the Census of Marine Microbes
Linda Amaral-Zettler
1
, Susan Huse
1
, Elizabeth McCliment
1
, Melissa Booth
2
, Craig
Carlson
3
, Hugh Ducklow
1
, Rafael Guevara
4
, John Hobbie
1
, Brian Palenik
5
1
Marine Biological Laboratory, USA,
2
Univeristy of Georgia Marine Institute, USA,
3
University of California, USA,
4
Florida International University, USA,
5
Scripps
Institution of Oceanography, USA
Abstract
Microbes account for the majority of the biomass in the ocean, but our
understanding of their diversity and biogeography remains fragmentary.
Advances in high-throughput DNA sequencing allow us to address these topics at
scales never before imagined. The MIRADA project has completed an all-taxon
microbial biodiversity survey and inventory across all 13 of the major aquatic
Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) sites in the US National Science
Foundation’s LTER Program. Eight LTERs are marine and cover diverse
environments from the icy polar waters of Palmer Station, Antarctica to the
tropical coral reefs of Moorea. In total, we have generated over 3.5 million
bacterial, archaeal and eukaryotic pyrotags combined from 8 replicated samples
per LTER site. Our major cross-site findings to date include: (1) marine sites
showed lower overall alpha diversity than freshwater sites; (2) brackish
environments, as found in Florida Everglades and Plum Island, were as diverse
as freshwater or marine sites; (3) a limited number of archaeal, bacterial and
eukaryotic species were cosmopolitan – therefore, some species are found
everywhere; and (4) freshwater, marine and brackish communities also showed
distinct “assemblages” of taxa indicating that some species are not found
everywhere.
26/0784
Seasonal abundance and composition of sediment ammonia oxidising
communities in the WEC
Karen Tait
, Paul J. Somerfield, Steve Widdicombe
Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Plymouth, UK
Abstract
The process of nitrification exerts considerable influence on marine production
in coastal sediments by both modifying the form of nitrogen available for uptake
by phytoplankton and fuelling nitrogen loss via denitrification. The first step in
nitrification, the conversion of ammonia to nitrite, is performed by both bacteria
and archaea but little is understood of the factors driving the abundance and
diversity of these microbes in coastal sediments. As part of the PML Benthic
Survey, DNA was extracted from 4 sites within estuaries and coastal sediments
near Plymouth over an 18 month period and the temporal and seasonal
abundance and diversity of ammonia oxidising archaea (AOA) and bacteria (AOB)
determined. In all sediments examined and at all time points, AOA were
dominant, with peaks in abundance within the summer months for both bacteria
and archaea. Comparisons of AOA and AOB diversity using PCR DGGE and clone
libraries indicated both AOA and AOB communities differed with sediment type.
Although the populations changed temporally, no over-all patterns were
observed. This data will be compared to a comprehensive database of
environmental data gathered at each site, including nutrient flux and nitrification
rates to produce increased insight into the factors underlying nitrification within
coastal sediments.
91
26/0850
E
xploring the viral diversity in deep-sea sediments
Cinzia Corinaldesi, Michael Tangherlini, Antonio Dell’Anno, Roberto Danovaro
D
epartment of Marine Science, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy
Abstract
M
etagenomic analyses have shown that marine viral communities are incredibly
d
iverse with an estimated viral diversity of 5000 genotypes in 200 liters of
s
eawater and a million genotypes in one kilogram of coastal marine sediment.
However, over 95% of marine viral sequences are not similar to previously
d
escribed sequences suggesting that we have only begun to scratch the surface
of marine viral diversity. Viral diversity in deep-sea sediments is still unknown.
Since 1 kg of deep-sea sediment contains 10
1
2
viruses, it potentially represents
t
he larger source of viral genes. In our study, we analyzed the viromes of four
d
eep-sea benthic ecosystems (including Black Sea, Atlantic and Arctic margins)
b
y a Roche Life Sciences 454 Titanium sequencing platform in the framework of
t
he GBMF’s Marine Phage Initiative. Our results show that the number of known
p
hages varies among ecosystems and over 88% of the sequences is unknown.
Lytic viruses dominate in all samples suggesting that lytic infection is the main
viral life strategy. Finally, as the major component of viruses is represented by
non-phages, eukaryotic viruses could mostly contribute to viral diversity of deep-
sea ecosystems.
26/0955
G
lobal patterns of Bacterial and Archaeal biodiversity in deep-sea sediments
Gian Marco Luna
, Antonio Dell’Anno, Cinzia Corinaldesi, Antonio Pusceddu,
R
oberto Danovaro
Department of Marine Science, Faculty of Science, Polytechnic University of Marche,
A
ncona, Italy
Abstract
D
eep-sea ecosystems cover 65% of the Earth’s surface thus playing key roles in
biomass production and biogeochemical cycles on a global scale. The deep ocean
i
s the largest reservoir of prokaryotic abundance and biomass of the entire
biosphere, but prokaryotic diversity and its spatial patterns in these ecosystems
are only poorly known. We report here the results of the largest investigation
c
arried out so far on prokaryotic biodiversity (Bacteria and Archaea) from deep-
s
ea sediments worldwide. Surface sediments were collected from 342 deep-sea
s
ites located in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Arctic Oceans, the Mediterranean and
t
he Black Seas, at latitudes ranging from 79°N to 34°S and from the shelf-break
d
own to the abyssal sediments. Using a combination of molecular fingerprinting
techniques, clone libraries and 454-pyrosequencing, we demonstrate that -
and -diversity of prokaryotes at bathyal and abyssal depths are comparable or
even higher than reported from the continental shelves, and identify the main
environmental factors driving spatial patterns of prokaryotic diversity.
2
6/1139
4
54 pyrosequencing for eukaryotic microbes: dinoflagellates as a focus
Yunyun Zhuang, Huan Zhang, Senjie Lin
University of Connecticut, Groton, CT, USA
Abstract
4
54 pyrosequencing has proven to be powerful in unraveling prokaryotic
microbial biodiversity but the power has not been much exploited for eukaryotic
m
icrobes. Dinoflagellates are the second most important marine eukaryotic
p
rimary producers and the most important contributors of harmful algal blooms
and biotoxins. It is important to understand their diversity relative to other
e
ukaryotic microbes. We designed eukaryote-universal (18Scom) and
dinoflagellate-specific (Dino18S) 18S rDNA primers to fit the read length of 454-
G
SFLX-Titanium sequencing. With this protocol we analyzed a plankton sample
collected in May 2010 from Long Island Sound. 18Scom uncovered organisms
from nearly all eukaryotic kingdoms, including Metazoa, Fungi, Amoebozoa,
Plantae, Chromalveolata, and Rhizaria. The most abundant phyla, diatoms,
chlorophytes, dinoflagellates, arthropods (mainly copepods), and ciliates
accounted for approximately 23, 15, 9, 9 and 8% of the community, respectively.
Also revealed were many low-abundance phyla including Glaucophyta,
Haplosporidia, and Hyphochytriomycota. For dinoflagellates, 18Scom and
Dino18S retrieved 37 and 22 classified genera (totally 42 genera), with
Gyrodinium, Heterocapsa and Gymnodinium being most abundant, whereas about
40% of the reads represent uncultured dinoflagellates. The new sequencing
protocol will be useful for uncovering the biodiversity of eukaryotic microbes and
the combination of the two primer sets maximize dinoflagellate diversity
recovery.
2
7/0264
P
acific Fishes and Lamprey in the North European seas
Valentina Artamonova
1
, Elena Borvikova
2
, Alexandr Kucheryavyi
1
, Dmitry Lajus
3
,
Alexandr Makhrov
1
1
A
.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Science,
Moscow, Russian Federation,
2
I.D. Papanin Institute of Biology of the Inland Water
R
ussian Academy of Sciences, Borok, Russian Federation,
3
S
t. Petersburg State
University, St. Petersburg, Russian Federation
A
bstract
Recent genetic studies confirmed the hypothesis (Heinke, 1898; Derjugin, 1928)
o
f the occurrence of marine and anadromous fishes and lamprey, which have no
species-level differences from forms inhabiting the Pacific ocean, in the White
a
nd Barents seas. These are Pacific herring Clupea pallasi (Jørstad, 2004;
Semenova et al., 2005; Laakkonen et al., 2010), rainbow smelt Osmerus mordax
(Sendek et al., 2005), Alaska pollock Theragra chalcogramma (Ursvik et al., 2007;
Byrkjedal et al., 2008), and Arctic lamprey Lethenteron camtschaticum
(Artamonova, Kucheryavyi, 2010).
Extensive transmission zone was found for the Siberian and European
populations of whitefish, Coregonus lavaretus (Østbye et al., 2005, our unpubl.
data). Transition zone was also reported for vendace C. albula and least cisco C.
sardinella (Sendek, 1998, 2002; Makhrov et al., 2003) and the presence of
numerous common haplotypes for these forms were documented (Borovikova et
al., 2006; Borovikova, Makhrov, 2009). These genetic data represent a solid
support of the abovementioned hypothesis of conspecifics these forms.
27/0420
Phylogeography and depth-parapatric patterns in cryptic species of planktonic
foraminifera in the Mediterranean and Caribbean Sea
Agnes Weiner
, Ralf Aurahs, Michal Kucera
University of Tübingen, Department of Geosciences, Working group
Micropaleontology, Tübingen, Germany
Abstract
Planktonic foraminifera are a group of marine protists with less than 50 living
morphospecies. Genetic research of the last decade has revealed an
unexpectedly high diversity within their SSU rDNA, sub-dividing many planktonic
foraminiferal morphospecies into several distinct genotypes. The observed
biogeographical patterns of these genotypes allow us to reinterpret the modes of
speciation in planktonic foraminifera and planktonic protists in general. Here, we
investigate the distribution of two SSU rDNA genotypes of Hastigerina pelagica in
the Mediterranean and Caribbean Sea. The genetic lineages found within H.
pelagica show a pronounced vertical separation within the water column.
Whereas one genotype predominantly dwells in waters shallower than 200 m,
the other genotype was absent above 100 m water depth. The distribution of the
H. pelagica genotypes follows the hypothesis of niche partitioning, supporting
earlier findings of genotypes of Globigerinoides ruber from the same region.
However, instead of a geographical separation between genotypes as found in G.
ruber, the genotypes of H. pelagica have partitioned their niche vertically. The
existence of a depth-parapatric distribution supports a species level divergence
between the two H. pelagica genotypes and identifies depth parapatry as a
possible mechanism for the establishment of isolation in planktonic
foraminifera.
27/0527
Metagenetic analysis of deep-sea meiobenthic biosphere, a global approach.
Frederic Sinniger
1
, Jan Pawlowski
2
, Gary Carvalho
1
, Simon Creer
1
1
Bangor University, Bangor, Wales, UK,
2
University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
Abstract
Deep-sea sediments form one of the most widespread and homogeneous
habitats on Earth. However, cosmopolitanism of its inhabitants remains an open
question. Benthic meiofauna comprises organisms between 500 and 45 m in
size living on or in sediments. Meiobenthic organisms play an important role in
the marine food-web and impact significantly on sedimentary sea bottoms and
the surrounding water masses through their role in sediment stabilisation,
secondary production and pollutant and organic material distribution or fixation.
However, identification and characterisation of the taxonomic diversity of the
meiobenthos is problematic due to several factors such as, among others,
convergent morphology, small size of the organisms and lack of specialist
taxonomists.
The MARMEDIV project aims to improve existing metagenetic approaches in
order to address questions in relation to the identification, distribution and
partitioning of multiple deep-sea marine meiobenthic taxa in parallel. Here we
present the initial results of the MARMEDIV project examining taxonomic
richness observed in the Arctic, Antarctic, Atlantic and Pacific deep-sea
sediments and compare the data with emerging studies from this novel field of
discovery.
92
27/0533
T
ranscriptome of the Deep-Sea Black Scabbardfish, Aphanopus carbo
(
Perciformes: Trachiuridae): Tissue-Specific Expression Patterns
S
ergio Stefanni
1
,
Raul Bettencourt
1
,
Miguel Pinheiro
2
,
Conceição Egas
2
1
IMAR/DOP, University of the Azores, Horta, Azores, Portugal,
2
Biocant, Cantanhede,
P
ortugal
Abstract
A
multiple small-scale transcriptome study has been undertaken for Aphanopus
carbo, deep sea species known for its commercial values and intriguing
p
hylogeny of its genus. The sequencing and analysis of several thousands of
expressed sequence tags (ESTs) were derived from cDNA of non-normalised
libraries of six different tissues (muscle, heart, liver, spleen, brain and gonads).
T
he single 454 sequencing run generated 527,271 reads with an average length
o
f 312 nucleotides per read (after trimming). 45,082 contigs were assembled and
p
rocessed, for sequence similarity searches. The consensus sequences,
i
ncluding 4,917 singletons, were queried for amino-acid similarity searches
a
gainst the NCBI’s database, using BLASTX at different levels of stringency (E<
10
-
6
resulted in 16,326 protein matches and at E< 10
-
2
added 3,067 matches).
Additional 9,135 sequences were determined with ESTscan. The sequence and
complete annotation of all ESTs is under scrutiny before becoming available to a
publicly accessible database. This is the first deep-sea fish transcriptome
database based on the 454 pyrosequencing technology and this study is a
p
relude to an even larger effort aimed at exploring more cDNA libraries from
o
ther deep-sea fishes toward the goal of understanding adaptations of Teleosts
to the deep sea.
27/0576
G
ene flow and fine-scale genetic structure in the haploid-diploid seaweed
C
hondrus crispus
S
tacy Krueger-Hadfield
1
,
Stéphane Mauger
1
,
Christophe Destombe
1
,
Juan
C
orrea
2
,
Myriam Valero
1
1
S
tation Biologique de Roscoff, Roscoff, France,
2
P
ontificia Universidad Catolica de
C
hile, Santiago, Chile
Abstract
The fine-scale variation in the landscape characteristics within the intertidal
h
abitat provide an excellent opportunity in which to explore disruptive selection
which may be constrained by the strength of gene flow between populations on
the shore. Intertidal seaweeds are excellent models with which to study the
l
inks between life history traits and landscape dynamics with the population
g
enetic structure. Members of the Rhodophyta combine several unique features
w
hich may impact the population dynamics of the species: (1) three types of
m
acroscopic individuals coexist, (2) three types of propagules are released and
(
3) each fertilization event is followed by the mitotic amplification of the zygote
resulting in thousands of identical diploid spores. Chondrus crispus is an
ecologically and economically important red seaweed of which little is known
about its population biology. The objective of this study was to understand the
impacts of haploid-diploidy and the intertidal landscape on the fine-scale genetic
structure of this red alga. Sampling at a regular continuous interval provides
e
nough resolution to assign individuals and perform spatial autocorrelation
a
nalyses. Further, paternity analyses were performed to determine fertilization
success. These different approaches will enable a precise picture of the
landscape genetics in the intertidal of a haploid-diploid seaweed.
2
7/0598
G
enetic analysis of extinct North Atlantic gray whales
Matthias Meyer
1
, Michael Hofreiter
2
, Elizabeth Alter
3
, Klaas Post
4
, Paul
Czechowski
5
1
M
PI EVA, Leipzig, Germany,
2
U
niversity of York, York, UK,
3
Y
ork College CUNY, New
York, USA,
4
Natural History Museum Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands,
5
University
o
f Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
Abstract
T
he Atlantic gray whale is often cited as the only known extinction of a great
whale species or population due to whaling, but very little is known about the
a
ctual causes underlying its disappearance, its size or its phylogenetic
relationship to extant populations. Until now, the history of this population has
b
een inferred from only a few carbon-dated samples and written records.
Through extensive morphological and genetic screening of fossils collected from
the bed of the North Sea, we could greatly expand the fossil collection of Atlantic
gray whales. Analyses of DNA and 14C data from 33 Atlantic gray whale
specimens show that the Atlantic and Pacific populations diverged in the
Pleistocene, with little or no migration during the Holocene. In addition, our data
indicates a loss of Atlantic genetic diversity over the course of the Holocene, and
suggest that the process of decline was likely due to climatic causes.
2
7/0639
D
NA barcoding reveals high diversity of deep-sea octocorals in the Hawaiian
Archipelago
Amy Baco
1
, Benjamin LaBelle
1
, Amy Driskell
2
, Stephen Cairns
2
, Andrea Ormos
2
,
D
iego Figueroa
1
1
Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA,
2
Smithsonian Institution, Washington,
D
.C., USA
Abstract
G
lobally, studies of deep-sea octocoral distribution and diversity have been
hampered by a lack of keys and abundant unidentified specimens. Even in
l
ocations where intensive morphological work has been done, as many as half
the specimens remain unidentified. Recently, a suite of genetic markers have
b
een identified as barcoding proxies for octocorals. Here, we make one of the
first attempts at broad application of 3 of these markers, to approximately 1000
specimens of octocorals from the Hawaiian Archipelago to evaluate octocoral
diversity and distributions. Results from the first batch of specimens yielded
over 100 haplotypes for MshI, with almost 70% represented by single individuals.
MshI alone has been shown to resolve less than half of morphological species,
suggesting the diversity of octocorals in the Hawaiian Archipelago is
substantially greater than previous work has shown. The large percentage of
haplotypes represented by single individuals also suggests that the full diversity
of deep-sea octocorals in Hawaii remains drastically undersampled. We
evaluate these results to assess the usefulness of application of these markers
to understanding deep-sea coral distributions globally.
27/0727
Cool cosmopolites: biodiversity, phylogeography, and connectivity of Atlantic
Ocean copepods
Leocadio Blanco-Bercial
1
, Ann Bucklin
1
, Astrid Cornils
3
, Nancy Copley
2
, Peter H.
Wiebe
2
1
University of Connecticut, Groton, Connecticut, USA,
2
Woods Hole Oceanographic
Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusets, USA,
3
Alfred Wegener Institute,
Bremerhaven, Germany
Abstract
Ocean circulation patterns are known to permit genetic differentiation of
geographic populations of zooplankton, resulting in genetic structuring on meso-
to large spatial scales. Analysis of biodiversity should consider multiple spatial
and temporal patterns, from small-scale patchiness to large-scale population
and ecosystem differentiation, and should focus on detection and analysis of
sibling and cryptic species. In this study, comparative phylogeographic analysis
of cosmopolitan copepod species was carried out using the DNA sequence
variation of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase (COI) to characterize patterns of
genetic diversity and connectivity across a range of spatial scales in the Atlantic
Ocean. Comparisons among copepods can reveal underlying mechanisms
determining diversity and connectivity, provide evidence of phylogenetic
constraints on phylogeography, and help predict community and ecosystem
responses to environmental change.
27/0783
Bacterial quorum sensing signal molecules induce settlement of Balanus
improvisus cyprids
Karen Tait
Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Plymouth, UK
Abstract
Bacteria utilise N-acylhomoserine lactones (AHLs) to modulate behaviour on a
population level. This ‘Quorum Sensing’ process is widespread amongst bacteria
and modulates the expression of multiple genes. AHLs also enhance the
settlement of zoospores of the green seaweed Ulva. Many reports have described
enhanced settlement of invertebrate larvae on bacterial biofilms, yet few have
demonstrated the nature of the cue responsible. Using cyprids of the barnacle
Balanus improvisus, the hypothesis that these organisms utilise AHLs as a cue in
surface selection was tested. Biofilms of the bacteria Vibrio anguillarum,
Aeromonas hydrophila and Sulfitobacter sp. attracted cyprids. However, when AHL
production was inactivated, either by mutation of the AHL synthetic genes or by
expression of an AHL-degrading gene (aiiA), the ability of the bacteria to attract
was abolished. In addition, cyprids were attracted to biofilms of E. coli expressing
recombinant AHL synthase genes, but not to E. coli that did not produce AHLs.
Finally, synthetic AHLs resulted in increased cyprid settlement. Thus, similar to
Ulva, the ecological success of a barnacle is also dependent on a bacterial
signalling process. This strengthens the theory that AHLs are a universal cue for
surface selection, influencing the development and functioning of hard substrate
communities.
93
27/0868
M
olecular Analysis of Larval Diversity in the Southwest Indian Ocean Ridge
Celia M Bell
1
, Philipp H Boersch-Supan
2
, Alex David Rogers
1
1
U
niversity of Oxford, Oxford, UK,
2
U
niversity of St Andrews, Fife, UK
Abstract
M
any larval stages of marine animals have yet to be matched to the
c
orresponding adult species because little is known about their life histories, and
l
arvae often lack characteristic morphological features necessary for species
identification. Genetic barcoding can elucidate the identity of larval specimens.
F
ish and decapod crustacean larvae were obtained during a scientific cruise in
late 2009, which sampled the pelagic environment along the seamounts of the
Southwest Indian Ocean and Madagascar Ridges. A mitochondrial marker gene
(
cytochrome oxidase I) was employed to identify larval stages of eels
(
leptocephali) and spiny lobsters (phyllosomata). We are interested in these
g
roups as spiny lobsters are an important target species in fisheries along the
M
adagascar ridge and the South African shelf, but very little is known about the
e
cology of their larvae in the Indian Ocean. Knowledge about dispersal ranges
and pathways can inform fisheries management in this region. For the eels,
seamounts have recently been suggested to be important spawning grounds in
the Pacific, but the ecology of leptocephali is poorly understood along the
Southwest Indian Ocean Ridge.
27/0896
P
opulation connectivity among hydrothermal vent fields in the northwestern
P
acific
H
iromi Watanabe
1
,
MiHye Seo
2
,
Shigeaki Kojima
2
,
Katsunori Fujikura
1
,
Tetsuya
M
iwa
1
,
Tetsuhiko Toyohara
3
1
J
apan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, Yokosuka, Kanagawa,
J
apan,
2
A
tmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, the University of Tokyo, Kashiwa,
C
hiba, Japan,
3
J
apan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation, Kawasaki, Kanagawa,
J
apan
A
bstract
Animal communities associates with deep-sea hydrothermal vent fields have
recorded high biomass and productivity in the world oceans. As these
e
nvironments are ephemeral and discrete, estimation of connectivity among the
l
ocal populations must be important to know the process of establishment and
r
ecruitment of these animal communities. We have collected DNA sequence data
(
partial mitochondrial COI) of 11 species of the animals inhabiting hydrothermal
v
ent fields in the western Pacific, and analyzed them with some population
genetic methods. In a single back-arc basin, it is rare to find genetic difference
among local populations. Among 11 species, two patterns in genetic diversity
were recognized; it was low in large bivalves and crustaceans except for a squat
lobster S. crosnieri, or high in gastropods and S. crosnieri. Trends of connectivity
of these species were also examined, and five localities were suggested as
s
ource populations for seven species. These differences revealed by genetic
a
nalyses must be caused by ecological traits of reproduction and larval
dispersal. We would discuss further about this relationships in the presentation.
2
7/0962
W
hole genome analyses in biodiversity studies: A case study on placozoans, a
systematic tabula rasa
Bernd Schierwater
1
, Michael Eitel
1
, Hans-Juergen Osigus
1
, Rob DeSalle
2
1
T
iHo Hannover, Hannover, Germany,
2
A
MNH New York, New York, USA
Abstract
Whole genome sequencing (nuclear and mitochondrial) comes at a speed and
a
ffordability which puts competition on the isolation of specific target genes for
b
iodiversity studies. We have sequenced several mitochondrial and also 3
nuclear genomes of placozoans, which yet represent a monoptypic phylum (the
o
nly described species, being, Trichoplax adhaerens), The whole genome
analyses unambiguously show that the Placozoa indeed harbor a substantial
d
iversity of at least several dozen species and several newly to erect taxa from
the genus to the order level. Compared to target gene isolation techniques
whole genome analyses did not unravel any completely new features but allowed
more precise identification of species lineages, character-based barcodes, and
taxonomic units.
2
7/0972
A
possible role of helitron transposons in the phylogenetic diversification of
Notothenioidei.
Simona De Iorio
1
, Luciano Papa
2
, Teresa Capriglione
3
, Ennio Cocca
2
1
S
econd University of Naples (SUN), Caserta, Italy,
2
I
nstitute of Protein Biochemistry
- CNR, Naples, Italy,
3
Dep. of Biological Science, “Federico II” University of Naples,
N
aples, Italy
Abstract
F
ishes of the suborder Notothenioidei dominate the Antarctic waters. During a
unique thermal history within the radiation of teleosteans, notothenioids
u
nderwent a number of adaptative modifications through changes in their
genomes.
Transposable elements (TEs) are considered to play an important role in the
m
echanisms of genome evolution and adaptation, due to their mutagenic
potential, inherent mobility, and abundance. Helitrons, known as rolling-circle
transposons, are a distinctive subclass of TE with a unique transposition
mechanism. Due their ability to capture and amplify gene fragments, helitrons
function as ‘‘exon shuffling machines’’, that create novel genetic units. Moreover,
known examples of helitrons horizontal transfer among animals provide
additional evidence on their aptitude to influence genome evolution.
We have recently isolated a helitron element from the icefish Chionodraco
hamatus, that belongs to the most derived of the eight families of notothenioids.
The analysis of distribution and conservation of this helitron among
notothenioids gives a pattern that seems to parallel the phylogenetic history of
this group of fish. Our result indicate that this element may have been lost in the
genome of sub-Antarctic species, or alternatively, its insertion may have
occurred later on, during radiation of the Antarctic species, playing a role in their
diversification.
27/0973
The importance of genetic diversity for population persistence in the marine
nematode Rhabditis marina investigated through field and laboratory
experiments
Sofie Derycke
1
, Thierry Backeljau
2
, Tom Moens
1
1
Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium,
2
Royal Belgian Institute for Natural Sciences,
Brussels, Belgium
Abstract
Genetic diversity may generate critical response diversity for species to adapt to
changing environments. Extinction under environmental change is a trade off
between demography and adaptive evolution, the latter enabling population
recovery over time. We have investigated the role of genetic diversity in
preventing populations extinction under sublethal stress using the marine
nematode Rhabditis marina. Natural populations were sampled along an
estuarine gradient in four consecutive seasons, and five years later. Genetic
diversity of the mitochondrial COI gene was consistently lower in the most
upstream location, which is characterized by lower salinity and higher pollution
compared to the other locations. Results of a first laboratory experiment show
that sublethal Cd concentrations reduce population development of R. marina at
suboptimal salinities, but effects at the genetic level were not persistent across
generations. Results of a second experiment suggest that some R. marina
genotypes from the up-, mid- and downstream populations can better deal with
salinity stress than others. In the last experiment, we created different levels of
genetic diversity and their population recovery is monitored in function of salinity.
We expect populations with higher diversity to be more resilient to salinity stress
than populations with lower genetic diversity.
27/0991
Convergent evolution in the cleaner shrimp genus Ancylomenes (Crustacea,
Caridea, Palaemonidae)
Bardo Cornelder, Charles Fransen
Netherlands Centre for Biodiversity Naturalis, Leiden, Netherlands
Abstract
Shrimp species in the recently erected pontoniine genus Ancylomenes
(Crustacea: Caridea: Palaemonidae) are known to associate with sea anemones
(Anthozoa: Actiniaria). They occur circumtropicallly, in the Atlantic and Indo-West
Pacific. Several species are known for their fish cleaning behavior, using the sea
anemone as shelter basis from which they operate their cleaning activities.
Species from both the Atlantic and Indo-West Pacific share a number of
morphological, ecological, and behavioral characters and therefore were
considered to be of monophyletic origin.
A phylogeny derived from COI and 16S mitochondrial DNA was used to examine
the evolutionary origin of the genus and to determine whether the
aforementioned similarities are based on convergence or common ancestry. The
analysis included 2 Atlantic and 7 Indo-West Pacific Ancylomenes species, as well
as Actiniaria-associated Pontoniinae from other genera, and a wide array of
pontoniines from both areas associated with other hosts.
Our results suggest that the very specialized behavior of cleaning fish, combined
with the association with sea anemones, evolved independently in the Atlantic
and Indo-West Pacific.
94
27/0999
D
istribution of Idanthyrsus cretus (Polychaeta: Sabellariidae) in the Tropical
E
astern Pacific and application of PCR-RAPD for population analysis
L
ina M. Barrios
1
,
Susan Chambers
2
,
N. Ismail
1
,
H.M. Guzman
3
,
J.M. Mair
1
1
Heriot Watt University, Edinburgh, UK,
2
National Museums of Scotland, Edinburgh,
U
K,
3
S
mithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama
Abstract
S
abellariid polychaetes, commonly known as honeycomb worms, are capable of
forming large reef-like aggregations. One species, Idanthyrsus cretus, was found
i
n several localities during surveys of Las Perlas Archipelago, Pacific Panama.
Large reefs of this species have not been recorded elsewhere in the Tropical
Eastern Pacific. The reef distribution patterns were examined and mapped with
t
he aid of Geographical Information Systems. Principal Component Analysis
s
howed that the distribution of polychaete reefs in Las Perlas Archipelago and
t
he reef building itself seem to be mainly dependent on depth, suitable substrate,
a
nd topography, the potential particle size for tube building, and wave exposure.
C
luster analysis of Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA with Polymerase Chain
Reaction molecular techniques demonstrated that the polychaete reefs in Las
Perlas Archipelago may be derived from one population. Analysis of molecular
results and oceanographic information from the region suggest that the
population in Las Perlas Archipelago may have its origins in Colombia or
Ecuador.
27/1005
L
inking species and 454 Roche metagenetic biodiversity datasets: An estuarine
c
ase study
N
atalie Barnes
1
,
Timothy Ferrero
1
,
Delphine Lallias
2
,
Vera Fonseca
2
,
Way Sung
3
,
H
olly M. Bik
3
,
Susana Silva Pereira
2
,
Simon Neill
2
,
et al.
1
N
atural History Museum, UK,
2
U
niversity Bangor, UK,
3
U
niversity of New Hampshire,
U
SA,et al.
Abstract
Morphological studies of meiofaunal biodiversity are regionally and taxonomically skewed
b
y availability of taxonomic expertise and quantity of published descriptions. Equally, whilst
metagenetic biodiversity studies capture significant levels of biodiversity, that biodiversity
is measured as (often anonymous) operational taxonomic unit (OTU) clustering. Here, we
i
ntegrate high through-put environmental metagenetic analysis of nematode diversity
d
erived from extensive sampling of two well-known estuaries (Thames and Mersey, UK),
w
ith individual “DNA-barcoded” species identification using an integrative taxonomy
a
pproach. The aim is to retrospectively link species information and environmental
m
etagenetic datasets, thus empowering genetic, morphological and functional diversity
assessments of the meiofaunal biosphere.
E
stuarine nematodes are mainly euryhaline, assemblages reflecting environmental
patterns and variation in physiological tolerance to salinity fluctuation between species.
That some species occur at
different salinities in different estuaries has been attributed to physiological
acclimatization, selection for tolerance and interaction with other environmental
parameters. However, generic siblings are thought to be differentially sensitive to changes
in habitat conditions and such patterns may indicate the presences of unobserved sibling
species. Integrating molecular and morphological data will allow intra- and inter-specific
b
oundaries to be delimited, informing discussion on species distributions within and
b
etween estuaries, including potential functional overlap of species and dispersal abilities.
2
7/1027
P
atterns of genetic connectivity of sponge (Porifera: Demospongiae)
populations in Spermonde Archipelago, Indonesia
Ratih Aryasari
1
, Nicole de Voogd
3
, Dirk Erpenbeck
1
, Gert Woerheide
1
1
D
epartement of Earth-and Environmental Sciences & GeoBio-CenterLMU, Munich,
Germany,
2
Faculty of Biology, Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta, Indonesia,
3
N
etherlands Centre for Biodiversity Naturalis, Leiden, Netherlands
Abstract
I
ndonesia has highly diverse coral reefs that provide various habitats for marine
invertebrates, including sponges. However, the Indonesian sponge fauna is
i
nsufficiently studied, which is a major disadvantage for marine area
management, as sponges also are indicators for marine habitat monitoring.
S
tudies on population connectivity from different habitats could provide
important information for management efforts, e.g. by identifying genetically
isolated areas that warrant special attention. The Spermonde archipelago
borders the Makasar strait, which is the main inflow pathway of the Indonesian
throughflow (ITF) current. This current moves up to millions of cubic-meters of
water per second from the Pacific to the Indian Ocean and this could influence
marine larval dispersal among reefs. Nevertheless, most sponges are supposed
to have restricted larval dispersal, frequently resulting in limited gene flow. We
examine genetic diversity and connectivity between populations of selected
sponges species in different habitats using mitochondrial and nuclear DNA-
sequence markers. We also compare the genetic results with phenotypic
differences, as populations in different habitats might have variations in
phenotypes as well as genotypes. Studies of the phenotype include spicule
morphometrics and skeletal architecture. Our aim is to contribute to the
understanding of dispersal patterns and genetic connectivity among Indo-Pacific
sponges.
2
7/1048
N
ext generation sequencing in biodiversity studies
Rob DeSalle
1
, Apurva Narechania
1
, Bernd Schierwater
2
1
AMNH New York, New York, USA,
2
TiHo Hannover, Hannover, Germany
Abstract
W
hole genome sequencing will soon come at a speed and affordability which will
allow applications in biodiversity studies not only in microbes but also plants and
a
nimals. New bioinformatic algorithms are being developed in our labs to
c
ircumvent repeteitive analysis and overlapping data basing from next
generation sequencing approaches. We discuss two approaches (CAOS and
D
DH) developed in our labs that take next generation sequence data for
microbial communities and for isolated microbial strains and allows for rapid
d
etermination of species origin. We demonstrte the utility of these approaches
using data collected by our labs and data from the literature. The implications
for these approaches in biodiversity studies and taxonomy will also be discussed.
27/1069
Use of associated fauna in resolving phylogenetic relationships in reef corals
Sancia E.T. van der Meij
Netherlands Centre for Biodiversity Naturalis, Leiden, Netherlands
Abstract
Coral-associated organisms contribute highly to coral reef biodiversity. Host
organisms, such as soft and stony corals, sponges, sea anemones and tunicates,
provide a living environment for a sheer number of symbionts by providing food,
shelter and habitat. Many of these host organisms are notoriously hard to
identify, and form taxonomically complex groups. The recent developments in the
application of phylogeny reconstructions will most likely lead to vast changes in
the current morphological taxonomic classification of stony corals. Gall crabs
(Decapoda: Cryptochiridae) form part of the associated fauna on coral reefs, as
obligate symbionts of stony corals, and reside in galls or pits inside their
scleractinian hosts. In this study, gall crabs were collected from a wide range of
Indo-Pacific coral hosts. The recorded associations were then plotted on a
cladogram of the Scleractinia. Gall crabs prove to be good indicators of
paraphyletic host groups, as the outcome is congruent with recent molecular
phylogeny reconstructions in scleractinians. When morphological and molecular
methods give ambiguous results on phylogenetic relationships within host
groups, associated fauna is expected to provide additional information.
27/1072
Diatom seasonality through the molecular glass
Maria Valeria Ruggiero
, Lucia Barra, Wiebe H.C.F. Kooistra, Marina Montresor,
Diana Sarno, Adriana Zingone
Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, Italy
Abstract
The diatom genus Pseudo-nitzschia includes several species producing domoic
acid, a neurotoxin responsible for Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning in humans.
Cryptic and pseudo-cryptic diversity in the genus has been revealed by molecular
markers or subtle ultrastructural differences. In such cases, traditional methods
of detection lead to an under-estimation of the actual genetic diversity at sea,
and limit our understanding of the genetic make-up of a species and its
variations over time.
To get a more comprehensive picture of the seasonal pattern of species diversity,
18 environmental clone libraries were constructed using genus-specific LSU
rDNA primers along one year of sampling at the LTER-MC (Gulf of Naples,
Mediterranean Sea).
At least 50 distinct genotypes were detected within the fifteen species so far
identified in the Gulf of Naples (Italy), demonstrating a much higher diversity for
this genus in nature than previously known. In addition, 84% of these genotypes
were present in restricted periods of the year, showing a strong phenological
signal.
This approach has allowed the detection of intra- and inter-specific genetic
variations and their seasonal changes. Moreover, the refined picture of species
diversity permits designing species-specific RNA or DNA probes for applications
such as FISH or microarray technology (FP7 project MIDTAL).
95
27/1178
H
istorical biogeography and phylogeny of Nacella
(
Patellogastropoda:Nacellidae) along the Southern Ocean
C
laudio González-Wevar
1
,
Tomoyuki Nakano
2
,
Juan Cañete
3
,
Elie Poulin
1
1
Universidad de Chile, Chile,
2
National Museum of Nature and Science, Japan,
3
U
niversidad de Magallanes, Punta Arenas, Chile
Abstract
T
he genus Nacella is distributed along the Southern Ocean regions like
Antarctica, the Magellanic, the Peruvian, the Kerguelenian and the Antipodean
P
rovinces. Nacella includes 15 extant species described in terms of their
morphologies. We performed phylogenetic reconstructions using different
methods (MP, ML and MCMC) in 14 species of Nacella using nuclear and
m
itochondrial markers. We estimated divergence times in the evolution of
N
acella using a relaxed bayesian methods. The selected markers clearly
d
iscriminate major lineages of Nacella with high levels of supports. Divergence
t
ime estimations suggest that the separation of Nacella-Cellana took place
d
uring the Miocene (between 30 to 14 Ma) and the diversification of Nacella
occurred in three stages. First, the appearance of species in different
biogeographic regions between 9 to 6 Ma. A second diversification took place
between 5.5 to 2.6 Ma and include all the south American species. A third
diversification includes an explosive pleistocenic radiation in the Magellan
Province. Nacella exhibits major trans-oceanic discontinuities without evidence
o
f recent or recurrent gene flow between Antarctic and Subantarctic regions. The
s
pecies of the Magellan province show low levels of genetic divergence, showing
an absence of reciprocal monophyly indicating a recent and rapid morphological
and ecological diversification.
27/1183
B
iological identifications through mitochondrial molecular markers: The case
o
f commercially important crabs from Indian EEZ
S
herine Cubelio
,
Suraj Tewari, Raj K, Gopalakrishnan A
National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources- cochin unit, cmfri campus, cochin,
c
ochin, kerala, India
Abstract
T
he present study is the first attempt to test the suitability of using a DNA
barcode approach to discriminate accurately the commercially important marine
c
rabs from Indian waters. Partial sequence of COI and 16S revealed distinct
species specific profiles supporting the morphological data with low level of
intraspecific genetic diversity. Differentiation of two species of Scylla, Scylla
s
errata and Scylla tranquebarica is problematic especially based on the adult
m
orphology. DNA barcoding using COI hAS proved to be efficient in
d
iscriminating not only the species but also suggesting the existence of one
m
ore Scylla species, Scylla oceanica in the Indian waters. analysis of sequencing
p
roducts of approx 600bp of COI and 16S shown low nucleotide and sequence
divergence (less than 2%) between these species.
D
NA barcodes were also generated for other commercial species such as
Portunus pelagicus, P. sanguinolenticus, Charybdis feriata, C. cruciata, C. lucifera, C.
gladiator and Podophthalmus vigil. Documentation of commercially important
crabs using DNA barcodes , thus helps in formualting effective management and
conservative stratergies.
2
8/0219
D
ynamical models of the response of copepod communities to climate
variability and change
Andrew Pershing
1
, Frédéric Maps
1
, Nicholas Record
2
1
U
niversity of Maine, Orono, ME, USA,
2
G
ulf of Maine Research Institute, Portland,
ME, USA
Abstract
C
opepods dominate the mesozooplankton biomass over much of the world ocean
a
nd play a key role in regulating the flux of carbon to the deep sea and to higher
trophic levels. Understanding how climate change will impact marine
e
cosystems and the ecosystem services they provide will require the ability to
predict how copepod communities will change in the future. We will present a
n
ew model of copepod growth and development that can simulate the response
of a diverse community to changes in physical conditions. We have used this
model to explore how temperature, food availability, and predation combine to
set the biogeographic limits of several North Atlantic copepod species in the
genus Calanus. This analysis provides insight into how these species have
adapted to particular niches in the ocean and how climate change may impact
their distribution in both space and time.
2
8/0240
S
hift in functional diversity along a marine gradient in Dutch man made
lagoons
Vincent Escaravage
, Sander Wijnhoven, Pim van Avesaath, Herman Hummel
N
IOO/KNAW, Yerseke, Netherlands
Abstract
Located at the interface between land and oceans, most lagoons are heavily
i
mpacted by human activities. With productivity that is similar to the contribution
b
y upwelling areas, coastal lagoons are also accountable for a substantial part of
the coastal resources. It is therefore of importance for researchers and
m
anagers to assess the controlling factors of lagoon communities and their
interaction with human use. Previous studies on lagoons have shown the relation
b
etween the flushing rate and the level of eutrophication with direct
consequences for the community structure and functioning. The present study,
performed in an array of artificially made lagoons and sea-arms, shows gradual
shifts in community structures along a marine gradient. Parallel to a decrease in
the number of species, benthic communities show a shift from predator to
subsurface deposit feeders domination at decreasing exchange with the open
sea. The most striking pattern in the present results is that a large part of the
variation observed in community structures can readily be related to the
exchange rate with the open sea without further consideration of the ‘true
controlling factors’ such as the changes in salinity and/or eutrophication regime
along the marine gradient.
28/0396
Spatial and Environmental Predictors of Species Richness in Tropical Seabed
Ecosystems
Patricia Sutcliffe
1
, Camille Mellin
2
, C. Roland Pitcher
3
, Hugh Possingham
1
, Julian
Caley
2
1
University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia,
2
Australian Institute of
Marine Science, Townsville, Queensland, Australia,
3
Australian Commonwealth
Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Abstract
Species richness is a key biodiversity metric widely used to estimate biodiversity
gain or loss and assist in conservation planning and management. Studies of
marine systems typically focus on only one or a few taxonomic groups and the
groups chosen often vary among studies. Consequently, it is not possible to
understand the performance of predictors of species richness across taxa. Using
a taxonomically comprehensive data set including 14 taxa of seabed fauna from 6
phyla on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia, we tested the performance of a suite
of environmental and spatial predictors of species richness using boosted
regression trees. We identified groups of taxa similarly related to predictor
variables and ranked all variables based upon the number of taxa for which they
are significant predictors. We then tested the predictive power of these variables
and compared variable importance between taxonomic groups. Sediment
composition was the most important predictor of species richness for all but one
taxonomic group. Other predictors consistently important across taxonomic
groups included bottom stress, depth and distance to coast. We show that the
power of spatial and environmental variables to predict species richness
patterns is high, explaining up to 61% of the deviance for some taxa.
28/0413
Tagging of Pacific Predators: Using Electronic Tags to Discover Marine
Biodiversity Hotspots
Daniel Costa
1
, Barbara Block
2
, Steven Bograd
3
, Randy Kochevar
2
, The TOPP
Team
1
1
University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, USA,
2
Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA,
USA,
3
National Marine Fisheries Service, Pacific Grove, CA, USA
Abstract
The factors that drive marine biodiversity hot spots in the North Pacific Ocean,
were studied in the Tagging of Pacific Predators program using biologging
technology to simultaneously map the location of marine vertebrates including
sharks, tuna, albatrosses, seals and whales. Hot spots are regions of high
biological activity where linkages occur between physical forcing, primary
production, secondary consumers and top pelagic predators. Although it is
generally accepted that these hotspots occur and are important, surprisingly
little is known about these congregating spots for marine organisms in the open
ocean. TOPP, a field program of the Census of Marine Life, deployed 4,306 tags
on 23 species in the North Pacific resulting in a biologging data set of
unprecedented scale and species diversity, covering 265,386 tracking days from
2000-2009. This is the first ocean basin-scale, cross-taxa study of marine
predator distribution and movement patterns. Using tracks obtained with
electronic tags, we have identified migration pathways, and identified multi-
species hot spots. Our results indicate that the California Current ecosystem and
the North Pacific Transition Zone attract a diverse range of marine vertebrates. A
recurring cycle driven by seasonal variation of oceanic processes and species-
specific thermal tolerances appears to drive large predator movements.
96
28/0452
M
aintaining Biodiversity in Soft-Sediment Benthic Habitats: The Role of
P
hysical Processes and Differential Dispersal Strategies.
S
ebastian Valanko
1
,
Alf Norkko
1
,
Joanna Norkko
1
,
Frederic Sinniger
2
,
Di Tracey
3
,
O
scar Ocana
4
,
Amy Baco
1
1
M
arine Research Centre, Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE), Helsinki, Finland,
2
B
angor University, Bangor, UK,
3
N
IWA, Museo del Mar, Argentina,
4
F
lorida State
U
niversity, Tallahassee, USA
Abstract
M
arine soft-sediment habitats are the most common on earth, covering 70% of
the world’s seafloor. Sediment habitats and associated biodiversity are partly a
reflection of the long-term dynamic equilibrium of physical processes that
t
ransport and deposit sediments. But it is still unclear how well the spatial
p
atterns of communities are regulated by the frequency and magnitude of wave-
e
vents. Passive processes, such as initial larval recruitment, are important for
l
arge-scale dispersal; but frequent small-scale dispersal throughout ontogeny
c
an considerably extend a population’s ability to react to disturbances. We have
therefore adapted a suite of in situ methods for quantifying rates of post-larval
dispersal strategies in a non-tidal soft-sediment system. The effect of waves
and/or currents on dispersal modes was investigated. The ambient and
dispersing community responded differentially, depending on the prevailing
hydrodynamic regime. Responses also differed depending on the species-
s
pecific traits (i.e. infauna or epifaunal, active or passive). Only by quantifying the
u
nderlying dispersal mechanisms can we predict the critical scales for benthic
disturbance and recovery processes, essential for maintaining biodiversity. This
is especially important as increasingly larger and more frequent benthic
disturbances are being reported in both coastal and offshore areas due to, for
example, hypoxia.
28/0833
O
cean Space Zoning and Dedicated Access Privileges: combined tools to
e
nhance marine conservation biodiversity and sustainability of fisheries Juan
Carlos Castillla D.Sc.Departamento de Ecología. Facultad Ciencias Biológicas.
P
. Universidad Católica de Chile. Casilla 114-D.
Santiago,Chilejcastilla@bio.puc.cl
Juan Carlos Castilla
P
. Univerisidad Catolica, Snatiago, Chile
Abstract
I
n the ocean fishery open access is one of the principal drivers of resource and
biodiversity deterioration. Ocean space zoning and the designation of dedicated
access privileges for fisheries (management) o socio-cultural purposes
(
conservation) refer to pure marine conservation (MPAs), to zones for multiple
u
se purposes (conservation- fisheries-recreation), for exclusively extractive
u
ses, for the preservation of genetic stocks or reserved for socio-cultural aims,
r
ecreation, heritage or for rights of traditional communities. Spatially, the sizes
o
f this “toolkit zoning” vary from few to thousands of km
2
a
nd they lay along a
continuum spatial arrangement and are under different governance frameworks.
It is argued that, for instance at a national scale, the use of the “toolkit” needs to
be integrated to scale-up cost-effective marine management and conservation
schemes and to enhanced connectivity. The social acceptance of theses central
and ancillary networks and appropriate governance, including the bottom-up
i
nvolvement of actors are the key elements to achieve social acceptance,
c
redibility and enforcement. The case is illustrated with the development in Chile
of a series mix fishery management and conservation tools along the country,
which have positively impacted the use of coastal marine resources as well as
the conservation of marine biodiversity.
2
8/0888
M
ethodic approach to distinguishing of large marine ecosystems in Arctic area
Andrey Bobkov
, Kirill Petrov
St/petersburg State Univ., Saint-Petersburg, Russian Federation
Abstract
D
istinguishing of large marine ecosystems is based on physico-geographic,
oceangraphic and biocenosis factotrs. Most full of them serve a landscape-
e
cologic access considerating multi-level description of shore, water and biota
c
omplexes taken as basic structure elements. Bionomic principle suppose that
natural complex is one among units of biogeographic regionalization which is
m
anifested in form of chorologic subsystems of different range. Biomes of local
levels enter successively the biochores of more high hierarchy. Naturel aquatic
c
omplex including its hydrobionts, presents one of units, development of which
occurs in conditions of latitudinal zonality and vertical differentiation, and is
controlled by azonal (geologo-geomorphologic) factors. Between arealogic
regionalization (on distribution of communities) and physico-geographic
complexes (on landscape features), narrow intercorrelation is revealed so far
so the distribution on taxons reflects the influence of environmental factors -
bathymetric, geologic, climatic, hydrologic, etc. Full spatial description of large
marine ecosystem demands to take into consideration units of zonal, vertical
and azonal differentiation, what is tested on examples of Barents and Kara seas.
2
8/0939
S
ingle large vs. several small” Does basin size represent the impact of
terrestrial inputs to aquatic vegetation on a nationwide scale?
Takehisa Yamakita
2
, Hisatomo Taki
1
, Kimiko Okabe
1
1
F
orestry and Forest Products Research Institute, Tsukuba, Japan,
2
T
he University of
Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
Abstract
S
eagrass beds provide various ecosystem services, such as primary production,
w
ater qualification and nursery area for fishes. Although demand of the
conservation planning increases, drivers affecting seagrass beds were not
i
nvestigated on a nationwide scale. To investigate this, we used GLM and GAM
models including the number of seagrass beds as a response variable and both
t
errestrial drivers (precipitation, ratio of land use and basin size) and aquatic
drivers (wind wave, depth gradient and water quality) as the explanatory
variables. We especially focused on the difference in basin sizes. Results showed
that over 70% of the variance of seagrass number was explained by aquatic
drivers as basins were large (> 10,000km
2
), but terrestrial drivers contributed for
small basins (< 10,000km
2
). In small basins, forests affected positively on the
number of seagrass. We suggest that effects of terrestrial inputs can directly
affect on the aquatic vegetation, but the consideration of basin size is important.
28/0950
Taxon related diversity patterns from the continental shelf to the slope: a case
study on nematodes from the Western Indian Ocean (WIO)
Agnes Muthumbi
2
, Ann Vanreusel
1
, Magda Vinxc
1
1
Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium,
2
University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
Abstract
Continental shelf and slope in the Western Indian Ocean along the Kenyan
margin was studied to unravel depth-related species diversity patterns portrayed
by nematode families. Three nematode families (Microlaimidae, Comesomatidae,
Chromadoridae) were selected for analysis based on their general occurrence
with relatively high numbers and diversity from shelf to slope.
The three families had species that displayed a eurybathic distribution. Gamma
diversity was 3 to 4 times the alpha diversity. The difference was more
pronounced at the slope which had also a higher turn-over compared to the
shelf. Each of the three families had a different diversity pattern with the
Comesomatidae showing a peak at mid depth, the Chromadoridae increasing
with depth and no change with depth in Microlaimidae. When the three families
were combined, the shelf maintained a lower diversity compared to the slope
(both local and regional). Genus and species diversity patterns were not
consistent with depth suggesting that genus diversity data may not be proxy for
species diversity. Species diversity correlated with relative abundance and
number of individuals encountered. Similarly, the number of species
encountered increased with increase in number of samples and did not reach
asymptote meaning that the area may have been under sampled.
28/0987
Brazil-Malvinas Confluence Zone: influence of an ocean front on the
distribution of phytoplankton communities
Rafael G. Araujo
1
, Márcio S. de Souza
1
, Carlos R. B. Mendes
2
, Virginia M. T.
Garcia
1
1
Institute of Oceanography, Federal University of Rio Grande (FURG), Rio Grande,
Brazil,
2
Center of Oceanography - Faculty of Science, University of Lisbon, Lisbon,
Brazil
Abstract
The Brazil-Malvinas Confluence Zone (BMCZ) is a dynamic region near 38°S
which is characterized by the presence of a strong thermohaline front due to the
encounter of Tropical Waters (TW) (transported by Brazil Current - BC) and Sub-
Antarctic Waters (transported by Malvinas Current - MC). Phytoplankton
community was analyzed by both microscopic and HPLC techniques. Results
have shown three distinct zones in the study area: a Tropical Zone (TZ) with high
surface temperature values (>16°C), low chlorophyll a (0.22 mg m
-3
) and low
nutrient concentration (dissolved inorganic nitrogen, phosphate and silicate),
with a predominance of nanoflagellates; a Sub-Antarctic Zone (SAZ) was the
opposite, with low surface temperature (<10°C), high nutrient levels and
relatively low chlorophyll a concentration (0.53 mg m
-3
), where diatoms and
nanoflagellates shared the dominance; finally, a Transition Zone (TrZ) with
intermediate levels of nutrients and the highest chlorophyll a concentration (1.1
mg m
-3
) massively dominated by Phaeocystis antarctica. Those results emphasize
the importance of ocean fronts on marine plankton biodiversity and their
relationship with environmental factors.
97
29/0044
H
otspots of Biodiversity on the Dutch North Sea
Oscar Bos
I
MARES, Texel, Netherlands
Abstract
T
he Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) strives for a good
e
nvironmental status (GES) of the EU seas by 2020. One of the aims is to
m
aintain marine biodiversity. The EU criteria to test the status of biodiversity are
not only restricted to species richness, but also apply to population
c
haracteristics (demography, age-structure) and habitat and ecosystem
features. In addition, spatial protection measures are encouraged under the
directive. To explore possibilities for spatial measures in the light of MSFD, the
D
utch government asked us to come up with areas in the Dutch North Sea
s
tanding out in terms of biodiversity.
To identify ‘biodiversity hotspots’ in the Dutch EEZ, we compiled data on benthos,
f
ish, seabirds and marine mammals. Next, we explored application of EU criteria
f
or biodiversity to our data and defined usable indicators. For birds we looked at
s
pecies richness, density, importance of the Dutch EEZ for the population,
r
eproductive output etc. For benthos, we included information on maximum age
and for fish we looked at trends, large species and large individuals. Here we
present maps indicating which areas are biodiversity hotspots in the Dutch North
Sea from a MSFD perspective.
29/0249
W
hy Common Standards Monitoring of European Marine Sites has proved to be
u
nfit for purpose
M
iles Hoskin
Coastal & Marine Environmental Research (CMER), Falmouth, Cornwall, UK
Abstract
M
onitoring designs that can reliably distinguish anthropogenic influences from
n
atural changes are essential for effective conservation management. They
provide an objective basis for prioritising what management measures are
n
eeded and for evaluating their effectiveness, once implemented. The need for
effective monitoring is particularly acute for marine ecosystems where the
natural processes that maintain them are often poorly understood.
The UK’s most important marine sites are those designated under the EU
Habitats Directive. Consistent with good practice, the Directive requires member
states to monitor the impact of management on the conservation status of priority
h
abitats and species. In the UK, the conceptual framework for designing these
m
onitoring programmes is so-called Common Standards Monitoring (CSM).
Unfortunately, CSM programmes for European Marine Sites (EMS) frequently fail
to produce reliable knowledge about key causal processes because they are
vague or incoherent in design; prior hypotheses about impacts or recovery rarely
feature.
In failing to recognise the possibility of better monitoring designs, UK
conservation agencies have become heavily reliant on subjective assessments of
the conservation status of EMS features for informing managerial decisions and
e
valuating their effects.
Case studies of ineffective monitoring are presented and the causes and
consequences of this problem are fully explored.
2
9/0275
T
he International Seabed Authority and marine biodiversity
Adam Cook
International Seabed Authority, Kingston, Jamaica
Abstract
T
he International Seabed Authority is an international organization established
as part of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea through which
g
overnments organize and control activities related to the mineral resources in
t
he seabed beyond national jurisdiction. These resources are currently
polymetallic nodules, cobalt-rich crusts and polymetallic sulphides. Any mineral
r
esource found in the future will also come under the remit of the Authority. The
Authority must pay due regard to the biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction and
c
onsider its protection from activities related to the mineral resources. The
Authority has been investigating the establishment a network of areas of
particular environmental interest in the Pacific Ocean. In addition, the Authority
promotes and encourages marine scientific research in areas beyond national
jurisdiction and the dissemination of these results. One of the ways in which the
Authority has fulfilled this mandate has been by establishing a fund to support
the participation of personnel from developing countries in marine scientific
research. The Authority also seeks to further develop existing relationships and
establish new collaborations with scientists and their institutions in order to gain
a better understanding of the environments where commercially exploitable
minerals are found beyond national jurisdiction.
2
9/0278
T
he Habitats Directive and Fisheries Administration; an immovable object
meets an irresistible force?
Tom Appleby
, Jean-Luc Solandt
U
niversity of the West of England, Bristol, Bristol, UK
Abstract
Fisheries are the exclusive competence of the European Union (EU), while
r
esponsibility for environmental law is shared between the EU and its members
s
tates. This makes it difficult for the EU to enforce environmental law against the
EU common fisheries policy (CFP); there is no easy EU legal mechanism.
M
ember states manage their own fleets and the distribution of quota via fishing
vessel licences. UK sea fisheries legislation is subject to both the CFP and EU
e
nvironmental legislation. Article 6 (3) of the Habitats Directive EC 92/43/EEC
ensure that no plan or project should be authorised by competent authority if it
significantly effects a Natura 2000 site without an appropriate assessment. There
are a numerous marine Natura 2000 sites in United Kingdom waters. It is likely
that issuing a fishing vessel licence is a plan or project. There is evidence that
fishing authorized by these fishing vessel licences has significant effects on a
number of United Kingdom Natura 2000 sites and their designated features.
There has been very few if any appropriate assessments carried out on fishing
vessel licences. There is therefore a strong argument that the United Kingdom is
in breach of its obligations under the EU Directive
29/0310
Marine Bioprospecting and International Law:A Call for a New Paradigm in
Marine Scientific Research
Achmad Gusman Siswandi
The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
Abstract
Marine biodiversity, especially marine genetic resources (MGR), has been
incredibly useful in developing pharmaceutical products. This has induced
scientists and biotechnology industry to explore marine biodiversity for
commercially valuable genetic and biochemical resources, or marine
bioprospecting. Meanwhile, the international legal regime concerning the
utilization of genetic resources has also been developing rapidly. This is indicated
by recent adoption of the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and
the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from Their Utilization. It
elaborates a number of fundamental principles on the utilization of genetic
resources already embodied in the 1992 United Nations Convention on Biological
Diversity. Nonetheless, in terms of the utilization of MGR, some legal issues
remain unresolved. Although the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of
the Sea provides some related principles, it does not contain detailed provisions
on MGR. In this paper, I would argue that marine bioprospecting requires a new
paradigm in regulating marine scientific research related to the utilization of
MGR. Such paradigm should be elaborated by adopting a specific legal regime
for the utilization of MGR; establishing a regional framework to address
transboundary situations; and nurturing closer cooperation among stakeholders
in the utilization of MGR.
29/0381
Adaptive governance for systemic change in the Southern Ocean
Julia Jabour
University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
Abstract
The Southern Ocean is vast and in winter half of its area is covered in sea ice. Its
living systems were severely impacted by harvesting in the 1800s and 1900s,
highly perturbing the marine ecosystems. Though beginning to recover through
careful regulation of human activities, these ecosystems are subject to additional
new stresses. There is evidence that sea surface temperatures are rising, ocean
acidity is increasing and the sea ice regime is in transition. In the search for
improved understanding, scientists are constructing three-dimensional models
of habitat use by dense communities of predators, extrapolating from a variety of
tracking devices that indicate foraging rather than transit behaviour. Coupled
with bathymetric and other data, the 3-D modeling helps in the identification of
areas of ecological significance—places where there is a rich concentration of
predators and prey, and which are likely to attract human activities such as
fishing. Knowledge of this kind is vital to the design of adaptive governance
arrangements that incorporate the complexity of the living systems into
decisions that permit rational resource use.
98
29/0386
C
onservation on Marine Biodiversity in Indonesia: An analysis toward the
a
dequacy of Legal Framework in respect to Community-Based Coastal
Management.
L
aely Nurhidayah
M
acquarie University, NSW, Australia
Abstract
I
ndonesia as an archipelagic state still faces many problems regarding
management of marine and coastal resources. These include environment
d
egradation of coastal ecosystems particularly mangrove and coral reefs. In fact,
during 1970s most of the coral reef in Indonesia was damage due to destructive
fishing practiced used bomb and potassium to catch for ornamental fish. To solve
t
his problem the government with the support of international donor launched
c
oastal management initiative including community based coastal management.
M
ost of this initiative emphasized on capacity building of communities on coral
r
eef rehabilitation and management. Community Based Coastal Management
(
CBCM) is recognized as integral part of integrated coastal management. CBCM
defines as people centered, community oriented and resource based. There is
growing recognition to the establishment of CBCM initiative worldwide especially
in developing countries. Despite there is growing recognition to the important of
community based coastal management. Little has been done in Indonesian legal
framework to recognize this initiative. The law No 27/2007 on management of
c
oastal and small island has recognized the traditional customary law on marine
a
nd coastal management. However, On the contrary privatization of marine and
coastal management which embodied in this legislation is threatened traditional
community based coastal management.
29/0390
C
o-management as a Tool for EBM:The Case of Southern Iloilo, Philippines
Liberty Espectato
, Genna Serofia, Rodelio Subade, Carlos Baylon
U
niversity of the Philippines Visayas, Miagao, Iloilo, Philippines
Abstract
T
his paper will present the experience of Southern Iloilo Coastal Management
C
ouncil, Inc. (SICRMC) as a fisheries co-management arrangement in Southern
I
loilo, Philippines. SICRMC was created to address the problems (e.g. resource
degradation, illegal fishing, etc.) of the five municipalities associated with the
m
anagement of their shared marine ecosystem, the Panay Gulf. This recognition
of common concern served as the impetus for these municipalities to enter into
a partnership agreement committing to share the responsibility in addressing
t
he issue. Expanding the management process beyond their specific municipal
w
ater boundaries into a broader collaboration at the ecosystem scale is
p
remised on the fact that what one municipality does will eventually affect the
a
djoining municipality sharing with the resource.
2
9/0438
T
he challenge of creating a UK MPA network: multiple designations, multiple
Administrations
Jenny Oates
J
oint Nature Conservation Committee, Peterborough, UK
Abstract
The Joint Nature Conservation Committee provide scientific and policy advice to
t
he UK Government and Devolved Administrations (Northern Ireland, Scotland
a
nd Wales) on how to meet international commitments to create an ecologically
coherent network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). Following recent
d
evelopments in legislation in the UK there are now no less than six different
types of MPA underpinned by different policy drivers with differing objectives and
m
ethods of identification. Furthermore, powers to identify and designate MPAs in
UK waters have been devolved to Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The
combination of these factors presents challenges to the creation of a network
and has the potential to cause confusion amongst sea users. We will explore the
ways in which the UK Government and Devolved Administrations are coordinating
their work to meet the challenge of creating an ecologically coherent network of
MPAs.
2
9/0473
G
enetic structuring and fisheries forensics: new tools for tackling Illegal,
Unregulated and Unreported (IUU) Fishing
Gary Carvalho
1
, Einar Nielsen
2
, Dorte Bekkevold
2
, Morten Limborg
2
, Jakob
H
ammer-Hansen
2
,
Sarah Helyar
1
,
Martin Taylor
1
1
Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd, UK,
2
DTU-Aqua, Technical University of
D
enmark, Silkeborg, Denmark
Abstract
A
lthough exploited fishes have traditionally been managed on a geographic
basis, for conservation they should be managed at the population level: the
e
xtent and dynamics of population structuring underlies resilience and
sustainability. Here I present major outputs from an EU project, FishPopTrace,
a
imed at improving the traceability of fish and fish products and protection of
consumer interests through enhanced understanding of the dynamics, temporal
stability and distribution of major populations of key exploited fish species:
Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua L.), European hake (Merluccius merluccius L.),
Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus L.), and common sole (Solea solea L.). Focus is
sampling throughout the food supply chain using SNPs (single copy nucleotide
polymorphisms). SNPs are the only current widely-used molecular tool allowing
detection of population variability across spatial scales, with sufficiently high
reproducibility and robustness for forensic validation. The distribution of putative
stocks based on SNP variation will be discussed in relation to conservation and
IUU. Incorporation of population biodiversity (“biocomplexity”) into management
instruments and policies will underpin an ecosystem-based approach to
fisheries through increased potential for recovery of declining stocks and
associated resilience in trophic interactions.
29/0544
Marine Protected Areas and highly mobile species in the Adriatic: the need for
common policies in the management of human activities
Leonardo Tunesi
1
, Giulia Mo
1
, Peter Mackelworth
3
, Caterina Fortuna
1
et al.
1
ISPRA, Italy,
2
Croatian Natural History Museum, Croatia,
3
Blue World Institute of
Marine Research & Conservation, Croatia, et al.
Abstract
Within the European Union the Habitats Directive provides for the creation of an
ecologically coherent network of protected areas called Natura 2000. However,
specific criteria for the creation of this network are lacking, especially for wide-
ranging marine species such as the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) and
the loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta).
Currently sites selected for the protection of these two species in the Adriatic
Sea are only located in coastal waters. The present study discusses the feasibility
of establishing sites for these species based on data collected during a recent
aerial survey over the entire Adriatic Sea. These two highly mobile species have
pelagic distributions which require threat mitigation measures that go beyond
the scope of national and EC protected area schemes. While the Natura 2000
network can play an important role for the protection of spatially delimited areas,
such as turtle nesting grounds, it appears to be inappropriate for protection of
less defined wider areas such as feeding, nursing and over-wintering grounds.
The implementation of multilateral shared management plans, capable of
assessing and mitigating the impact of wide-ranging human activities on these
species, appear to provide the best conservation tool for these two species in the
Adriatic Sea.
29/0561
Considering marine biodiversity when planning wave energy developments:
the role of the SOWFIA project
Anne Marie O’Hagan
1
, Brian Holmes
1
, Deborah Greaves
2
, Catherine McClellan
3
,
Teresa Simas
4
, et al.
1
HMRC, University College Cork, Ireland,
2
PRIMaRE, University of Plymouth, UK,
3
PRIMaRE, University of Exeter, UK,
4
Wave Energy Centre, Portugal, et al.
Abstract
The SOWFIA (Streamlining of Ocean Wave Farms Impact Assessment) project
aims to facilitate the development of coordinated and streamlined environmental
[and socio-economic] Impact Assessment (IA) tools for wave energy
developments across Europe. Currently marine biodiversity considerations are
addressed only through site-level Environmental Impact Assessment. This was
not designed with wave energy developments in mind. Consequently there is a
need to tailor the assessment system to take into account both the growing
commercialisation of the sector and protection of the marine environment.
SOWFIA addresses these aspects by firstly documenting developer experience on
approval processes and requirements of EIA for wave energy development in
different EU Member States. This information will be supplemented with
experiences from other marine users in order to identify ways in which approval
processes can be improved. Related to this, and a second objective of SOWFIA, is
to collate available environmental data from six EU wave test sites. This will
include an analysis of what potential environmental effects are of concern and
how environmental monitoring will detect these potential effects. Comparing and
contrasting all of this information from different sites will enable conclusions to
be drawn regarding processes for EIA and regional sensitivities, such as
biodiversity changes.
99
29/0575
T
he Role of Top Predators in Preserving Biodiversity in Coastal and Marine
S
patial Planning
S
ara Maxwell
1
,
Daniel Costa
2
,
Elliott Hazen
3
,
Steven Bograd
3
,
The TOPP Team
1
1
Marine Conservation Biology Institute & Univ California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA,
U
SA,
2
U
niversity of California Santa Cruz, USA,
3
N
OAA National Marine Fisheries
S
ervice, Environmental Research Division, USA
Abstract
Top predators are vital to ocean ecosystem health and functioning, as well as
m
arine biodiversity. Because of this, maintaining populations of top predators
has been defined as one of the key principles for effective coastal and marine
spatial planning (CMSP). As a case study, we use satellite tracking data from the
T
agging of Pacific Pelagics (TOPP) program to highlight the role of top predators
i
n CMSP for the US West Coast by considering the distribution of seven marine
m
ammal and seabird species between 2002 and 2008. We highlight important
a
reas for top predators and the overlap of top predators with human activities in
t
he California Current. From this case study, we define key principles for
including top predators in CMSP processes around the world: (1) understanding
spatial distribution of both multi-species and individual predator species
hotspots; (2) the role of persistent oceanographic features as opportunities to
protect top predator populations within discrete spatial areas; and (3) importance
of inter-annual and seasonal variability in determining safe areas for human
a
ctivities. The inclusion of these principles in CMSP allows for concurrent human
u
ses of the ocean and protection of top predator populations, ultimately reducing
human-ecological conflicts.
29/0583
D
esigning for coherence: is the science ready?
Bethany Stoker
1
, Jen Ashworth
1
1
J
oint Nature Conservation Committee, Peterborough, UK,
2
N
atural England,
Peterborough, UK
Abstract
T
here are now a range of international and European drivers that call for
e
cologically coherent Marine Protected Area (MPA) networks. In the UK two new
pieces of legislation - the Marine and Coastal Access Act and the Marine
(
Scotland) Act - require the creation of a network of conservation sites across UK
seas. However, ecological coherence is an evolving concept and there is no
universally accepted definition. We explore how science can be used to underpin
t
he development of an MPA network using the Marine Conservation Zone (MCZ)
P
roject as a case study. Within the MCZ Project the Ecological Network Guidance
p
rovides practical guidelines to support the application of seven network design
p
rinciples. These principles follow international guidance and best practice to
d
eliver an ecologically coherent MPA network. We present new research on the
network design principles of adequacy, viability and connectivity; and discuss
how existing MPAs contribute towards ecological coherence, highlighting where
there is work still to be done in protecting our seas. We believe that the science,
although evolving, is ready to support the development of ecologically coherent
MPA networks, and in doing so can help to identify key research questions for the
f
uture and enable adaptive management.
2
9/0666
B
iodiversity and Fisheries Management Strategies in Mexico
Miguel Angel Huerta Bello
, Raul Villasenor Talavera, Belinda Cedillo Tirado,
Adrian Salgado Vargas, Jose de Jesus Dosal Cruz
C
onapesca/Dgopa, Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico
Abstract
An evolution of fishing that allow his adjustment within the concepts of
s
ustainable development, demanded action planning, management and more
s
tringent regulation, which by its consequent social and economic costs must
involve, review and approval by the academic, social and productive sectors.
This process promotes the establishment of far-sighted public policy, with a
l
ong-term perspective and scope that must maintain and optimize the
development of this sector considering the growing demand for marine products
a
nd the need to strengthen the food security of our country.
There is a growing concern in the authorities responsible for fisheries
management in order to incorporate new standards and measures of planning,
management and regulation, including aspects such as: role of each species in
the ecosystem and its economic importance, social aspects of conservation of
marine biodiversity, protection of threatened species taken as Bycatch, optional
and regional demand for certain species, effects of domestic and international
seafood markets and international agreements in the globalized world. Our
country is looking to develop new fisheries management schemes such as
dynamic management based on catch quotas and the implementation of refuge
areas, the work done in these subjects by CONAPESCA-DGOPA will be explained
in this paper.
2
9/0688
P
olitical ecology of community-based mangrove biodiversity conservation in
Catanduanes, Philippines
Manrico Masagca
1
, Igmedio Teves
2
, Jimmy Masagca
3
1
O
livarez College, Paranaque City, Philippines,
2
C
atanduanes State Colleges, Virac,
Catanduanes, Philippines,
3
Pacific Island Institute for Pedagogy, Technology, Arts &
S
ciences, Virac, Catanduanes, Philippines
Abstract
T
his paper presents insights on the issues of poverty, gender and equity using
political ecology as frames of analysis. It is extremely significant to note that
l
andlessness (or lack of adequate space for farming), weather disturbances in
the island province and government’s inability to address the real needs of the
l
ocal people and the inability redistribute lands for the rural coastal people as
main reasons why poverty is unsolved in the areas under study. Studies indicate
that land access is an important predicate of alleviating poverty. It is observed
that asset poverty, though present, does not represent the main dimension of
poverty in a fishing community studied within the 3 km radius of a mangrove
biodiversity conservation are under study. Fewe number of respondents
associate household poverty with the inability to own a house or a parcel of land
and it appears that several conflicts on equity and gender exist in this
community-based mangrove project and have evolved from the divergent
perceptions of the local people, the local leaders and the management
authorities involved in the mangrove biodiversity conservation area. Likewise,
women involvement is considered a topic that is still under-addressed despite
the fact women participation can lead to better mangrove forest management.
29/0722
Tooling Up to Conserve Wild Ocean Biodiversity: Environmental Impact
Assessment and Marine Spatial Planning in the Oceans beyond National
Jurisdiction
Robin Warner
University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
Abstract
The spectrum of human activities in the oceans beyond national jurisdiction is
increasing, posing threats to the wild ocean environment and its biodiversity. This
paper will review current global and sectoral developments in environmental
impact assessment of activities affecting the oceans beyond national jurisdiction
and marine spatial planning in areas most at risk. It will examine the revision of
the Convention on Biological Diversity’s Voluntary Guidelines on Biodiversity
Inclusive Environmental Impact Assessment and guidance on Strategic
Environmental Assessment to incorporate scientific and technical
elements related to marine areas beyond national jurisdiction and governance
issues related to their implementation. The development of specific criteria for
the identification of ecologically and biologically significant areas
(EBSAs) through the CBD and their application to marine areas beyond national
jurisdiction will also be considered. Initiatives to enhance protection of marine
biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction in the fisheries and deep seabed mining
sectors will be reviewed including the FAO’s development of criteria for
vulnerable marine ecosystems and the International Seabed Authority’s
formulation of an environmental management plan applicable to deep seabed
mining contractors in the Clarion Clipperton Zone of the Central Pacific Ocean.
Having surveyed these developments, the paper will attempt a synthesis of the
evolving governance structure for conserving marine biodiversity beyond national
jurisdiction.
29/0723
Marine Biodiversity Conservation: Australia’s Legal Framework for Marine
Protected Areas
Susan Shearing
University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
Abstract
In 1998 Australian governments at Commonwealth and State/Territory levels
committed to establishing a National Representative System of Marine Protected
Areas. The Australian government has committed to the implementation of such
a system by 2012. As for terrestrial biodiversity loss, the principle policy and
legal response has been the development of protected areas to enhance marine
ecosystem resilience to anthropocentric stressors. However, the establishment
of MPAs requires trade-offs between competing users and uses of marine
ecosystems, including commercial fishing and a range of other industry and
recreational interests. The paper will assess the legal framework for identifying
and establishing MPAs in Commonwealth waters under the Environment
Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. Specifically, the paper will
consider the extent to which the marine bioregional planning process currently
being undertaken by the Commonwealth Government to provide strategic
guidance for Government decision makers and marine environment users is an
effective framework within which to deal with:
(i)The identification, creation and management of MPAs (with a particular focus
on the role of such networks as a mechanism to facilitate marine ecosystem
adaptation to climate change); and
(ii) Issues relating to integrated multiple use planning and management of
regional ecosystems.
100
29/0726
S
cience-policy interactions and stakeholders’ participation in invasive alien
s
pecies risk governance in the Baltic Sea region
P
aulina Lemke
1
,
Aleksandra Zgrundo
1
,
Katarzyna Smolarz
2
,
Dorota Pyc
3
,
C
hristina Halling
4
,
Maciej Wolowicz
1
1
U
niversity of Gdansk, Poland,
2
S
ödertörn University, Sweden,
3
U
niversity of Gdansk,
P
oland,
4
S
ödertörn University, Sweden
Abstract
Invasive alien species (IAS) pose a global threat to marine ecosystems, thus they
a
re addressed in international regulatory frameworks and require coordinated
and consistent course of action from all the stakeholders involved. In the Baltic
Sea region the legislation and policy is still being developed. Moreover, the role
o
f science in the context of IAS risk governance is often underlined.
The results of the study based on an extensive desk research, consultations and
interviews with stakeholders from different Baltic countries, showed that the
s
cience-policy interaction in this field is explicitly related to the risk assessment
a
rea, monitoring activities and providing tools for planning further actions.
A
mong the most important findings was the need for the rapid and transparent
i
nformation flow from science to the management level, supported by the
development of conceptual models for communication, clear allocation of roles
and responsibilities at each stage of response and the design of long-term
programmes involving all stakeholders.
S
ince our knowledge on the consequences of introductions is often limited and
s
o far there is no legally binding instrument available, science should provide a
comprehensive base for supporting Ecosystem Approach to Management of IAS
b
y integrating ecological principles into the risk governance measures.
29/0728
T
oward transboundary marine protected areas in the Western Indian Ocean
Catarina Grilo
F
CUL, Lisbon, Portugal
Abstract
M
any threatened marine species and habitats straddle more than a single
n
ational jurisdiction, making transboundary marine protected areas (MPAs) one
p
ossible tool for their conservation. However, such place-based tools are not
appropriate for all levels of resource mobility, are not capable of tackling all
t
hreats, and pose various governance challenges arising from multiple
jurisdictions and interests. To assess the adequacy of transboundary MPAs to
protect marine resources and habitats in the Western Indian Ocean, the
e
cological characteristics, user groups, and institutions associated with a mobile
r
esource (Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin) and a static resource (coral reefs) in
t
wo coastal border regions were examined. This assessment revealed some
l
imitations of transboundary MPAs in the Mozambique-Tanzania and
M
ozambique-South Africa border regions, such as significant knowledge gaps,
inability to tackle land-based pollution, and difficulties in law enforcement in
remote areas. It also showed how transboundary MPAs can protect continuous
ecosystems divided by political borders, for example by providing a framework to
bridge analogous fisheries co-management institutions on both sides of a
border. Most importantly, this assessment illustrates the importance of
c
onducting similar reviews before countries commit to establish transboundary
M
PAs, and highlights the need to tailor conservation regimes to on-the-ground
contexts.
2
9/0745
I
mpacts of Fishing Restrictions and Catch Limits for Ground Fisheries in the
Gulf of Maine
Rob McDowell
A
merican Puclic University, Charles Town West Virginia, USA
Abstract
Since the collapse of the fin-fish/ground fishing industry in New England in the
e
arly 1990’s the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) of the National
O
ceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has instituted
increasingly restrictive fishing regulations, catch quotas, and gear limitations for
a
ll fishing boats operating in New England waters including the U.S. side of the
Gulf of Maine.
These restrictive catch limits and fishing license procedures have imposed
s
evere economic hardship upon the fishing boats operating in the Gulf of Maine
and according to fish population data analysis have had only limited impacts
upon the population recovery of commercially caught species of fin-fish caught in
the Gulf of Maine.
There are a myriad of factors that are contributing to the marginal effectiveness
of the restrictions, yet the economic impact upon the fishing industry has been
severe. This research seeks to outline and analyze the actual effectiveness of
catch limits,licensing restrictions, and gear limitations upon the recovery of
commercially exploited fin-fish species populations in the Gulf of Maine from
1996-2010. This has be done by analyzing catch data and fish populations
estimates for the affected species for this time period from NMS and by working
in conjunction with the local fisherman’s association.
2
9/0751
T
he Use of Nematodes in Assessing Ecological Quality Status in the
Mediterranean Coastal Ecosystems
Valentina Losi
1
, Maraiapaola Moreno
1
, Federica Semprucci
2
, Mauro Fabiano
1
,
L
uigi Vezzulli
3
,
Maria Balsamo
2
,
Giancarlo Albertelli
1
1
Dipartimento per lo Studio del Territorio e delle sue Risorse (Dip.Te.Ris), Universiy
o
f Genoa, Genoa, Italy,
2
D
ipartimento di Scienze della Terra, della Vita e
dell’Ambiente (Di. STeVA), University of Urbino ‘Carlo Bo’, Urbino, Italy,
3
Dipartimento
d
i Biologia (DIBIO), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
Abstract
T
he European Water Framework Directive (WFD, Directive 2000/60/EC) has
established the concept of ecological quality status (EQS) as a way to assess the
b
iological quality of waters. A meta-analysis of data on the abundance and
diversity of free-living nematodes from different Mediterranean environments
was used to define specific thresholds and to develop a set of indices and
indicators to assess the ecological quality status (EQS) of marine ecosystems.
Total organic matter, heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
concentrations, Shannon-Diversity Index (H’), Maturity Index, c-p%, Index of
Trophic Diversity (ITD) and presence of sensitive/tolerant genera of the nematode
community were measured and used to identify the five classes of EQS assessed
according to the Water Framework Directive. Among the indices/indicators, the
presence/absence of specific genera, c-p% composition and the Shannon-
Diversity Index resulted the best indicators in the EQS assessment, followed by
the Maturity Index, whilst the Index of Trophic Diversity provided controversial
results.
29/0791
Fine meshed net fishery in central Philippines: tradition and livelihood vs.
biodiversity and conservation
Harold Monteclaro
, Edna Abunal
University of the Philippines Visayas College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences
Institute of Marine Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, Miagao, Iloilo, Philippines
Abstract
The use of fine meshed nets as traditional fishing gears is widespread in Asia
and other parts of the world. In central Philippines for example, the use of these
fishing gears to exploit sergestid shrimps, larval, postlarval, and juvenile fishes
is a major fishery that supports a substantial industry and livelihood. Although
the harvest of these resources can be considered as a traditional and even a
cultural way of life in these regions, present issues on biodiversity and the
decline of marine wild stocks require a second look at the exploitation of these
resources.
In northern Panay Gulf, Philippines, the fine meshed net fishery employs a
variety of fishing gears that include beach seines, filter nets, lift nets, and
skimming nets. In this study, catch rates of these fishing gears in a single year
were monitored and recorded. Also presented are the composition of animals
caught in each gear that included a wide variety of marine organisms such as
sergestid shrimps, adult fishes, postlarval fishes, larval fishes, crustaceans,
reptiles, and assortment of invertebrates. A review of existing laws and
regulations regarding the use and regulation of these gears as well as
recommendations based on the results are discussed.
29/0815
The challenge of turning science into policy: access to marine resources for
coastal communities
Bruno Monteferri
Peruvian Society for Environmental Law - SPDA, Lima, Peru
Abstract
Coastal communities around the world gain access to marine resources through
different property regimes that, in turn, may affect the sustainability of fisheries
and the state of marine ecosystems. Such property regimes have frequently
caused conflicts within coastal communities, as they have been usually overlaid
on top of existing tenure rights systems.
In response to ineffective top-down approaches to marine management, some
governments have encouraged local community involvement in resource
allocation programs. For example, Chile has granted more than 500 marine
areas to fishing communities to manage benthic resources. Such policy changes
were based, among other factors, on the recognition of limited fiscal capacity in
law enforcement, especially in developing countries. Consequently, the
programmes adopted have differed in the level of government interventions, the
degree of control and authority delegated to local communities, and the extent to
which those communities benefit from the commonly managed resource. The
talk will explore the different forms of property rights and governance structures
that might lead coastal communities to practice sustainable management for
marine resources and provide further evidence of the enabling and/or limiting
factors that shape the development of country-specific legal frameworks and
policies for management of marine resources by coastal communities.
101
29/0830
R
eality Check: What is the real potential of deep-sea genetic resources?
Kim Juniper
1
, David Leary
2
1
S
chool of Earth and Ocean Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada,
2
Faculty of Law, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
Abstract
T
his past decade has seen the successful completion of the 10-year Census of
M
arine Life and considerable discussion at the international level around access
and benefit sharing of marine genetic resources, particularly in areas of the
o
cean beyond national jurisdiction. We undertook a critical analysis of the real
potential of the genetic resources of the deep sea, and the prospects for global-
scale benefit sharing. We surveyed data on returns on bioprospecting,
c
onsidered which genetic traits are particularly attractive for the biotechnology
i
ndustries, and related these to results from the Census of Marine Life. We then
e
xamined the range of mechanisms proposed to date for benefit sharing and the
i
mpact these would have on how biodiversity and genetic novelty are discovered
i
n the oceans. Our results lead us to conclude that the success rate for
developing new products from marine organisms is likely to be extremely low,
and that restrictions on research in the deep ocean that would be part of any
international benefit sharing arrangement as currently proposed, would
primarily act to slow the pace of discovery.
29/0845
E
valuation of management models in the common fisheries policy.
Fernando Gonzalez-Laxe
, Federico Martín-Palmero
U
niversity of A Coruña, A Coruña, Spain
Abstract
T
he paper analyses the historical development of fisheries management systems
w
ithin the framework of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP): how resources are
m
anaged, how tasks are allocated by the Commission, and how quotas must be
implemented. Early developments were based on the control of the fleet, aiming
a
t the best compliance regarding catches by removing the overcapacity derived
from the imbalance fleet/resources. The next developments focus on the
allocation of national quotas and financial subsidies. Lastly, from the 2002
r
eform, the developments focus on managing the fishing effort according to the
p
recautionary principle and the implementation of individual fishing rights.
The document also deals with the different criteria implemented to strengthen
t
his more and more open and competitive sector, with more liability for
p
roducers.
Finally, the author places particular emphasis on how to establish the different
positions related to decision-making processes all through the period from 1983
to 2009, mainly with regard to micromanagement and regionalisation of
fisheries. These recommendations would mean a change of mentality in
r
eference to the principles of the Common Fisheries Policy.
2
9/0901
M
anagement of marine natural resources beyond national jurisdiction: lessons
for fisheries from minerals and biodiversity
ARIANNA BROGGIATO
E
BCD, Bruxelles, Belgium
Abstract
Nowadays, natural resources of the ocean beyond national jurisdiction - fish,
m
inerals and genetic resources - are threatened by over-exploitation and unfair
s
haring of the benefits. These resources are different in their exploitation and
use, and philosophically raise peculiar issues. The scope of this paper is to
a
nalyse and compare the property rights regime over fishery resources in the
high seas, the legal regime of the minerals of the seabed and the legal gap over
m
arine genetic resources beyond national jurisdiction.
P
roperty and sovereignty are still seen as closely related terms (Cohen 1927 –
Barnes 2009). With the emergence of new global challenges and demand in
terms of resources appropriation, there is a need to look for creative governance
models, detached from the ones usually provided by public international law.
Rather than focusing on property, the management systems should consider, on
one hand granting access to resources to future generations (for fish and
minerals) and on the other hand the benefits for humankind (especially for
genetic resources).
2
9/0907
S
tewardship of Continental Margin Biodiversity to Maintain Ecosystem
Functions
Myriam Sibuet
1
, Lisa Levin
3
, Lenaick Menot
2
, Robert Carney
4
1
I
nstitut Océanographique, Paris, France,
2
I
fremer, Brest, France,
3
S
cripps Institution
of Oceanography, San Diego, USA,
4
Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, USA
Abstract
T
he ocean’s deep continental margins were formerly perceived as monotonous
m
ud slopes of limited ecological importance or environmental concern. High
resolution mapping and direct observations now reveal a mosaic of habitats and
e
cosystems linked to geomorphological, geochemical and hydrographic features
which influence biotic diversity. This biodiversity is fundamental to the production
o
f fisheries, energy and mineral resources, and to nutrient cycling and carbon
sequestration. Through the Census of Marine Life deep sea projects, hotspots of
biodiversity have been identified, from lush canyons and seamounts, to high-
stress oxygen minimum zones, rich chemosynthetic seep communities, and vast
reefs of cold corals. Margins support distinctive species and high alpha and beta
diversities, but these are threatened by an expanding human footprint. While
reoccupation of sites has allowed the in situ experimentation and time series
monitoring needed to understand the functioning of ecosystems, we lack much
of the quantitative information needed to conserve and manage the diversity of
species on margins. Assessment of margin ecosystem vulnerability requires a
balance between exploration and long-term observatories to understand natural
dynamics and to integrate new theory. There is now a strong imperative for
ecosystem-based management, impact assessment, MPA approaches and best
practices guidelines for resource extraction.
29/0935
Conservation of Marine Biodiversity: What Role for Litigation?
Ruth Davis
University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
Abstract
International and national laws can play an integral role in the conservation of
marine biodiversity as tools for the translation of natural thresholds into
concrete restrictions upon human activity. However international law, in
particular, is often criticised for its lack of enforcement capability.
This paper will consider the role of litigation in the conservation of marine
biodiversity, using cetaceans as a case study.
Litigation is generally contemplated as an enforcement mechanism by modern
environmental agreements; not so the older-generation of agreements such as
the 1946 International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling. What benefits
are sought to be derived from litigation? Are there pitfalls to litigation that
restrict its utility in the marine conservation context?
Current litigation before the International Court of Justice over whaling will be
examined to assess the potential role of litigation in the conservation of marine
biodiversity. Experiences from previous international (Southern Bluefin Tuna)
and national (cetacean) litigation will be drawn upon to derive conclusions about
the benefits and pitfalls of litigation more generally. Concerns about the narrow
focus of litigation and its potential to distract attention from more significant
issues will be addressed.
29/0956
High seas deep-sea fisheries: threats and management challenges
Alex David Rogers
, Matthew Gianni
University of Oxford, Oxford, Oxfordshire, UK
Abstract
We review the progress in implementation of UN General Assembly Resolutions
61/105 and 64/72 with respect to management of deep-sea fisheries. It is evident
that some Regional Fisheries Management Organisations have made progress in
the establishment of protected areas to prevent significant adverse impacts on
vulnerable marine ecosystems, such as cold-water coral reefs. However,
sustainable management of deep-sea fisheries remains a significant issue,
especially with respect to target and by-catch deep-sea fish. Move-on rules
established to prevent further damage to newly discovered vulnerable marine
ecosystems are also an area of poor implementation. We examine scientific
approaches to improving knowledge that can be applied to improving the
management of deep-sea fisheries beyond areas of national jurisdiction,
particularly tools to model habitats and the distribution of species within them.
To conclude, future directions in applied deep-sea research and on the
management of deep-sea fisheries on the high seas are examined.
102
29/1008
T
he open ocean and seabed beyond national jurisdiction: governance and
m
anagement challenges and solutions
K
ristina Gjerde
,
Anna Rulska-Domino
IUCN, Gland,, Switzerland
Abstract
D
espite recent success in reigning in the worst excesses with respect to high
s
eas bottom trawling, and the establishment of high seas MPAs in the North East
Atlantic and Southern Ocean, there is an urgent need to scale up our efforts to
s
ecure the health and resilience of the Ocean beyond national jurisdiction and to
establish the basis for transparent, accountable, equitable and science-based
governance.
The